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Contamination by microplastics in free-living white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris) resident in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
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Researchers captured 22 white-eared opossums in urban forest fragments in Brazil and found microplastics in gastrointestinal tract and lung tissue in most animals, demonstrating that urban wildlife are substantially exposed to microplastic pollution through their environment.
This study aimed to investigate the presence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs of white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris), as well as their effects on these organs and the body condition of sampled animals. We captured 22 opossums from April to December 2023 in six forest fragments of Campo Grande, capital of Mato Grosso do Sul state. Body condition estimates were performed using measurements of weight and head-body length for a total of 22 male and female opossums. Stomach, ileum, and lung fragments were collected during necropsies for histopathological study and detection of microplastics by alkaline digestion with KOH. Digested samples were vacuum filtered using filter paper and dried in an oven. The dried filters were examined under an optical microscope. A total of 270 microplastic specimens were detected in the 22 animals examined. The ileum presented the highest number of microplastics (n = 141), fibers were the most common type (n = 185), and blue was the predominant color (n = 140). Regarding chemical composition, the most frequently detected microplastics were polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Although all D. albiventris specimens presented microplastics in their evaluated tissues, no effects on body condition or tissue damage were observed. Since D. albiventris are common animals in Campo Grande and are contaminated by microplastics, these animals can act as sentinels of environmental conditions.
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Contamination by Microplastics in Free-Living White-Eared Opossums (Didelphis Albiventris) Resident in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul – Brazil
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Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs of 22 wild white-eared opossums from Brazil, documenting the types and quantities of ingested MPs and assessing associated histopathological tissue changes and body condition effects in these urban wildlife.
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Researchers found microplastics in the stomachs of fish from the upper Parana River basin in Brazil, including in species that primarily feed on plant material, suggesting accidental ingestion is widespread. The study raises concerns about microplastic contamination of urban freshwater food webs.
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Microplastics were found in the stomachs of multiple fish species in an urban Brazilian river, with ingestion rates linked to each species' feeding ecology. The findings confirm that microplastics have entered the freshwater food chain, raising concern about contamination reaching people who eat these fish.
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Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of 29 fish species from Amazon riverine beaches, with contamination levels influenced by fish feeding mode and distance to urban settlements within a protected area.
Ingestion of Microplastic by Fish of Different Feeding Habits in Urbanized and Non-urbanized Streams in Southern Brazil
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