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Microplastic pollution in the surface waters of creeks along the Kenyan coast, Western Indian Ocean (WIO)
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Microplastic pollution was documented in surface waters of creeks along the Kenyan coast in the Western Indian Ocean, establishing baseline data for a region where microplastic research has been limited and identifying wastewater discharge and fishing activities as likely sources.
Microplastic pollution has been recognized as a global threat in marine environments and a danger to prey, predators and humans. Yet there have been limited studies in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and along the Kenyan coast making it difficult to estimate the extent of such pollution. This is the first study on microplastics (MPs) in the surface waters within creeks (Tudor, Port-Reitz and Mida creeks) in Kenya. Sampling was done in January/ February and September 2018 to collect microplastics from surface water. Neuston nets of 500 μm (large) and 250 μm (medium) size were towed for ten minutes and 50 litres of seawater sieved through a 20 μm net (small) in three replicates. The samples were digested in 10 % Potassium Hydroxide, sieved, and then filtered with cellulose nitrate membrane microfilters. Concentrations of total microplastics, different shapes and colours were established under a microscope. High concentrations of small size (20-250 μm) MPs were encountered and Tudor and Port Reitz had higher concentrations compared to Mida Creek. The study provides data on microplastic concentrations within the creeks and recommends focussing on small size microplastics for monitoring purposes, which due to their high concentrations can be hazardous to organisms.
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Microplastic polymers were characterized in surface water and creek sediments along the Kenyan coast in the Western Indian Ocean, finding widespread contamination with polyethylene and polypropylene as dominant polymer types in an understudied African coastal environment.
Microplastics pollution in the sediments of creeks and estuaries of Kenya, western Indian Ocean
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Microplastic contamination was documented in sediments of creeks and estuaries along the Kenyan coast in the western Indian Ocean, with higher concentrations near urban centers and tourist areas, filling a major gap in microplastic monitoring data for East African coastal ecosystems and confirming regional contamination levels comparable to more studied ocean regions.
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This study found microplastics in five common food fish species along the Kenya coast of the Indian Ocean, with bottom-dwelling fish showing higher contamination than pelagic or reef fish. The findings indicate that plastic pollution has reached East African coastal fisheries, with potential implications for food safety among communities that depend on seafood.
Microplastics contamination of fish from the Creeks along the Kenya coast, western Indian Ocean (WIO)
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found microplastics in five common food fish species along the Kenya coast of the Indian Ocean, with bottom-dwelling fish showing higher contamination than pelagic and reef fish. The findings indicate plastic pollution has reached Kenyan coastal fisheries, raising food safety concerns for communities that depend on local seafood.
Microplastics contamination of fish from the creeks along the Kenya coast, Western Indian Ocean (WIO)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured microplastic ingestion by five coastal fish species from Kenyan creek waters, finding benthic fish had higher contamination (up to 0.48 particles per gram of tissue) than pelagic species. Gut and gill tissues contained significantly higher concentrations than flesh, and the authors recommend gutting and cleaning gills before consumption to reduce human microplastic exposure from fish.
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