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Microplastics in fish and fishmeal: an emerging environmental challenge?
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Researchers found that commercial fishmeal, which is used in animal and fish feed, contains about 124 microplastic particles per kilogram, potentially more than the original fish it was made from. This suggests that the manufacturing process may add extra microplastics to the final product. Through marine aquaculture alone, over 300 million microplastic particles could be released into the ocean annually via fishmeal, creating a cycle where microplastics contaminate both farmed and wild seafood that people eat.
Microplastics are contaminants of emerging concern; they are ingested by marine biota. About a quarter of global marine fish landings is used to produce fishmeal for animal and aquaculture feed. To provide a knowledge foundation for this matrix we reviewed the existing literature for studies of microplastics in fishmeal-relevant species. 55% of studies were deemed unsuitable due to focus on large microplastics (> 1 mm), lack of, or limited contamination control and polymer testing techniques. Overall, fishmeal-relevant species exhibit 0.72 microplastics/individual, with studies generally only assessing digestive organs. We validated a density separation method for effectiveness of microplastic extraction from this medium and assessed two commercial products for microplastics. Recovery rates of a range of dosed microplastics from whitefish fishmeal samples were 71.3 ± 1.2%. Commercial samples contained 123.9 ± 16.5 microplastics per kg of fishmeal-mainly polyethylene-including 52.0 ± 14.0 microfibres-mainly rayon. Concentrations in processed fishmeal seem higher than in captured fish, suggesting potential augmentation during the production process. Based on conservative estimates, over 300 million microplastic particles (mostly < 1 mm) could be released annually to the oceans through marine aquaculture alone. Fishmeal is both a source of microplastics to the environment, and directly exposes organisms for human consumption to these particles.
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Microplastics contamination in commercial fish meal and feed: a major concern in the cultured organisms
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Researchers analyzed commercial fish meal and animal feed samples and found microplastics in all of them, with fish meal containing up to 1,154 particles per kilogram. The contaminated feed is given to farmed fish, shrimp, and chicken, creating a pathway for microplastics to reach humans through the food supply. Feed made from dried fish had higher contamination levels than feed from fresh fish, and the microplastics also carried toxic heavy metals.
Microplastics in fishmeal: A threatening issue for sustainable aquaculture and human health
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics enter aquaculture systems through contaminated fishmeal — made from wild-caught fish that have ingested ocean plastics — and accumulate in farmed fish that are then eaten by humans. The review calls for improved microplastic screening during fish feed production to protect both aquaculture sustainability and public health.
Microplastics in fish meals: An exposure route for aquaculture animals
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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.
Detection and characterisation of microplastics and microfibres in fishmeal and soybean meal
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Researchers examined fishmeal and soybean meal used as aquaculture feed ingredients and detected microplastics and semi-synthetic cellulosic microfibers in fishmeal but not in plant-based soybean meal. The findings suggest that animal-based aquaculture feeds represent a route of microplastic contamination for farmed fish.
Microplastics in Aquaculture
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This review examines how microplastic accumulation in water bodies threatens aquaculture by affecting fish and shellfish growth, reproduction, behavior, and survival, with marine bycatch used as fishmeal identified as a key pathway for microplastic entry into aquaculture feed systems. The authors assess the extent of microplastic invasion into commercial aquaculture operations and the implications for seafood safety.
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