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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Human Health Effects
Marine & Wildlife
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Microplastics in fish meals: An exposure route for aquaculture animals
The Science of The Total Environment2021
86 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 55
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Researchers analyzed fish meal samples from ten major producing countries worldwide and found microplastic contamination in all samples tested, averaging 5.5 particles per gram. Fibres were the most common shape, with cellophane, polypropylene, and PET being the dominant polymer types. The study estimates that aquaculture animals fed contaminated fish meal ingest significant quantities of microplastics, identifying fish meal as an important but previously overlooked exposure route.
Microplastics (MPs) are widely detected in many marine fishes. Fish meal contaminated by MP may constitute a potential threat to aquaculture animals. This study analyzed the characteristics of MP in fish meals from ten major fish meal-producing countries around the world. Microplastics were isolated from fish meal, examined under a microscope and identified using Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (μ-FT-IR). The results showed that MP pollution was widely detected in fish meal samples from ten countries. The average MP abundance of fish meals was 5.5 ± 1.6 items/g, with higher levels in China, Peru and Myanmar, which might be related to the high pollution level in fish and their habitats. In isolated MPs, fibers were the main shape type, and the most common size was 500-1000 μm. A total of 6 polymers were identified, with cellophane (CP), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene teraphalate (PET) being the most common types. The total amount of MP ingestion from fish meals by different cultured animals was also estimated, with Atlantic salmon Salmon salar ingesting the largest number of MPs (9361 items), and red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii ingesting the smallest number of MPs (19 items). Thus, fish meal constitutes an important exposure route of MPs for aquaculture animals. The results of this study will provide a basis to assess the potential health risks of MPs in fish meals around the world.