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Ingestion of rubber tips of artificial turf field by goldfish
Summary
This Japanese study found that rubber crumb particles from artificial turf fields migrate through drainage systems into waterways and can be actively ingested by goldfish, which retained the particles in their intestines for up to 48 hours. The findings indicate that artificial sports turf is a source of marine microplastic that can be consumed by fish.
Abstract Marine microplastic is one of the global environmental issues. The present study examined whether rubber tips of artificial sports fields could be marine microplastic. We observed the migration of rubber tips from the artificial turf field to the surrounding ditch connected to sewer pipes and then examined the ingestion of rubber tips using goldfish Carassius auratus . The rubber tips found in sediments in the ditch suggest that the rubber tips could be sent to the river and released into the ocean. The goldfish ingested rubber tips with or without fish feed, and rubber tips are found in the intestine. However, the fish discharged the rubber tips within 48 h after the ingestion. These results indicate that ingestion of the rubber tips was not accidental but active behavior. Therefore, the artificial turf sports fields could be a source of marine microplastic and may cause hazardous effects on wild fishes through ingestion.