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Microplastic ingestion by Atlantic mackerel and blue whiting in Icelandic waters
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Researchers found that Atlantic mackerel and blue whiting in Icelandic waters had ingested microplastics, with fibres being the dominant type found. The study suggests these commercially important fish species are exposed to microplastics throughout their feeding range in the North Atlantic.
Since 1950s, plastics have been extensively used in a wide variety of products both in industries and private households. Unfortunately, some plastic litter ends up in the marine environment where it fragments into smaller particles and finally into microplastics (0.01-5mm). Microplastics are present in sediments and the water column where they can be ingested by marine organisms. This study investigates the microplastic occurrence in Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), a pelagic species, and blue whiting(Micromesistius poutassou), a mesopelagic species, in Icelandic waters. Both species are commercially important. The gastrointestinal tracts of 50 Atlantic mackerel and 40 blue whiting, sampled northeast and south of Iceland in July 2019 and 2020, were processed with an alkaline digestion method, filtered, and visually inspected with a stereomicroscope. Observed microplastic particles were further analysed with Raman spectroscopy in order to identify their polymer types. Due to the high risk of fibre contamination in microplastic research, the occurrences were presented both including and excluding fibres. The microplastic occurrences were 12.0% and 6.0% including/excluding fibres for Atlantic mackerel and 7.5% and 2.5% for blue whiting. The average number of particles among the individuals that had ingested microplastics were 1.3 particles/individual for Atlantic mackerel and 1.0 particles/individual for blue whiting. This study adds to existing evidence that microplastics are eaten by epi- and mesopelagic fish species and provides the first record of microplastic occurrence in Atlantic mackerel and blue whiting in Icelandic waters.
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Researchers examined gastrointestinal tracts of 290 North and Baltic Sea fish and detected plastic in 5.5% of individuals, with pelagic species like herring and mackerel ingesting plastic at three times the rate of bottom-dwelling cod and flounder, and polyethylene making up nearly 40% of identified polymer types.
Microplastic contamination in large migratory fishes collected in the open Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers found microplastic contamination in large migratory fish collected during a circumnavigation of the Atlantic Ocean, with all seven commercially important species containing microplastics predominantly as fibers in their gastrointestinal tracts.
Occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea
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Researchers examined the occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion in pelagic and bottom-dwelling fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea, finding plastics in both groups. The study contributed to baseline knowledge of microplastic ingestion rates in commercially important fish species in European seas.
Ingestion of microplastics by pelagic fish from the Moroccan Central Atlantic coast
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Researchers found microplastics in the stomachs of three small pelagic fish species caught along the Moroccan Central Atlantic coast, confirming plastic ingestion in commercially important species in a region where marine litter is predominantly plastic. The study adds to growing evidence of microplastic contamination in North African Atlantic fisheries.
Microplastic distribution in different tissues of small pelagic fish of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in three commercially important fish species from the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, finding plastic particles in the gut, gills, and muscle tissue. Horse mackerel had the highest contamination rates, with 92 percent of individuals containing microplastics in their digestive tract and 63 percent in their muscle. Since these fish are widely consumed by people, the presence of microplastics in edible muscle tissue is a direct concern for human dietary exposure.
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