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Microplastic ingestion in invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki): a nationwide survey from Türkiye

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Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Irmak Kurtul, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Çüneyt Kaya, Tanju Mutlu, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Irmak Kurtul, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, J. Robert Britton Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, J. Robert Britton J. Robert Britton Ben Parker, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, J. Robert Britton J. Robert Britton Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Ben Parker, Çüneyt Kaya, Kenan Gedik, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Ben Parker, Esra Bayçelebi, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Esra Bayçelebi, Ahmet Raif Eryaşar, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Tanju Mutlu, Kenan Gedik, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Ben Parker, Esra Bayçelebi, Ali Serhan Tarkan, J. Robert Britton Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Çüneyt Kaya, J. Robert Britton Phillip J. Haubrock, Kenan Gedik, Çüneyt Kaya, Kenan Gedik, Çüneyt Kaya, Irmak Kurtul, Çüneyt Kaya, Kenan Gedik, Çüneyt Kaya, Irmak Kurtul, Tanju Mutlu, Çüneyt Kaya, Çüneyt Kaya, Esra Bayçelebi, J. Robert Britton J. Robert Britton J. Robert Britton Esra Bayçelebi, Esra Bayçelebi, Esra Bayçelebi, Esra Bayçelebi, Tanju Mutlu, Phillip J. Haubrock, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, Kenan Gedik, J. Robert Britton Kenan Gedik, Ali Serhan Tarkan, Phillip J. Haubrock, J. Robert Britton Hasan M. Sarı, Hasan M. Sarı, Hasan M. Sarı, Hasan M. Sarı, Ali Serhan Tarkan, Hasan M. Sarı, Kenan Gedik, J. Robert Britton J. Robert Britton

Summary

Researchers surveyed microplastic ingestion in over 600 mosquitofish across 24 freshwater sites in Türkiye, finding microplastics in fish at nearly all sites, with PET and polyethylene fibers dominating and higher contamination near agricultural and residential areas. The study demonstrates that this invasive, surface-feeding fish is an effective indicator species for tracking localized microplastic pollution.

Abstract Microplastics are widespread pollutants in freshwater ecosystems, yet comprehensive data on their occurrence across large geographic scales remains scarce. This nationwide study, therefore, examined microplastic ingestion in 621 individuals of non-native Gambusia holbrooki across 24 freshwater sites in Türkiye, selected to represent diverse hydrological types and anthropogenic pressures. Microplastic particles were extracted from the gastrointestinal tracts and analyzed for morphology, polymer type, size, and color using stereomicroscopy and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Fibers were the dominant shape (66%), followed by fragments (23%), films (9%), and spheres (2%). The most common polymer types were polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 40%) and polyethylene (PE, 28%), while black (35%) and blue (22%) were the most frequent colors. Over 80% of particles measured less than 1 mm in size. Microplastic loads were higher in lentic systems and areas influenced by agricultural or domestic discharge, highlighting spatial variability driven by land use and waterbody type. This pattern aligns with the ecology of G. holbrooki, whose surface-feeding behavior and preference for lentic waters likely increase its exposure to microplastics. These findings demonstrate the utility of G. holbrooki as a bioindicator of localized microplastic pollution. Future monitoring programs should integrate land-use data and adopt multi-species approaches to capture the full spectrum of contamination. This study supports the inclusion of adaptable, invasive species in cost-effective freshwater pollution assessments and informs targeted management strategies. Graphical Abstract

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