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Microplastics, bisphenols, phthalates and pesticides in odontocete species in the Macaronesian Region (Eastern North Atlantic)
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Researchers found microplastics in all 12 stranded odontocetes from six species in the Macaronesian Region, with fibers comprising 98% of particles, and detected bisphenols and DEHP at high concentrations in muscle tissue alongside pesticide residues in nearly all individuals.
The gastrointestinal contents of twelve individuals from six odontocete species that stranded between 2018 and 2019 in the Macaronesian Region (Eastern North Atlantic) were examined for the presence of marine debris. In addition, concentrations of eleven organic persistent contaminants (nonylphenols, bisphenols, phthalates and pesticides) were analysed in muscle samples by liquid chromatography. No particles larger than 5 mm were found, except for two plastic labels that were found on the same dolphin. On the contrary, all animals contained microplastics of diverse sizes, most of them being fibres (98.06%, n = 708). The predominant detected pollutants were bisphenols (4-984 ng/g) and DEHP (102-1533 ng/g). Also, except for two individuals, all animals had pesticide levels in their tissues. This work has allowed the establishment of a protocol for the study of microplastic ingestion in cetaceans, and tests the potential of microRaman to improve the understanding of microplastic alteration processes.
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When the small ones tease the largest: Microplastic and phthalate ester occurrence in cetaceans occasionally found in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea
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Seven cetacean species stranded on Germany's North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts were examined for microplastics and phthalate esters, with microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals detected in intestinal and fecal samples across baleen and toothed whale species alike.
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Researchers measured tiny plastic particles in the muscle tissue of dolphinfish and yellowfin tuna caught across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Polyethylene and other common plastics were found in both species, with amounts varying by location and species, but not linked to how high the fish sat in the food chain.
Comparative study of microplastic ingestion in commercial fish species from macaronesia
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Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion in 634 fish from seven commercially important species across all four Macaronesian archipelagos, comparing abundance and characteristics of ingested particles across species with different habitats, feeding behaviors, and geographic distributions.
Microplastic ingestion and plastic additive detection in pelagic squid and fish: Implications for bioindicators and plastic tracers in open oceanic food webs
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Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in fish and squid from the open Northeast Atlantic and detected phthalate plasticizers in their tissues. Both fish species and all three squid species had ingested microplastics, with fibers being the most common type. The presence of plastic additives in these open-ocean species suggests that microplastic contamination and associated chemical exposure extend well beyond coastal areas into the deep ocean food web.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.