Aquatic Plant Mediates Microplastic Bioavailability in Herbivorous Freshwater Fish

This study analyzed microplastics (MPs; target size: 0.1-5 mm) in freshwater fish and aquatic plants in an urban lake in Kumamoto, Japan. MPs were detected in 82% of the collected sample of herbivorous fish species, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Redbelly tilapia (Tilapia zillii) at mean level of 10 ± 13 items ind-1, which was more than 10 times higher than the levels found in two carnivorous fish species, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and snakehead (Channa argus). Fish samples near the outlets of stormwater runoff and a wastewater treatment plant showed higher abundances of MPs than fish collected from other locations in the lake. Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were dominant polymers in fish, accounting for 83%. These three polymers were also commonly detected in three species of aquatic plants, which retained MPs at 4.6-35 items g-1 dry weight. A comparison of the characteristics of the MPs detected in the herbivorous fish and aquatic plant samples collected at the same station showed similar profiles in terms of polymer types, shape, and colors. This indicates that herbivorous fish are exposed to MPs adsorbed onto the surface of aquatic plants through their feeding activity. Our findings highlighted that aquatic plants act as a mediator to increase the bioavailability of MPs in freshwater fish by trapping MPs on the plant surface.