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Estimation of the uptake and gut retention of microplastics in juvenile marine fish: Mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) and red seabreams (Pagrus major)
Summary
This study estimated microplastic uptake and gut retention by two marine fish species exposed to polyethylene particles, finding that ingestion rates were proportional to water concentration and that most particles were eliminated within 24 hours. While most microplastics pass through fish quickly, the continuous exposure in contaminated water means that fish guts frequently contain these particles.
We investigated the impact of microplastics (MPs) on marine fish by estimating the uptake and retention by mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) and red seabreams (Pagrus major) of MPs similar in size (≥0.25 mm) and composition (polyethylene) to MPs detected in fish intestines. Results revealed a correlation between MP concentrations in aquarium water and the content of MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts of exposed fish. More than 95% were excreted from both species within 25 h; this retention time is similar to the processing time of food items. The rate of excretion showed little dependence on MP size, but there was some dependence on fish species and MP shape. These results suggest that MPs similar to those we studied have little direct adverse impact on these two marine fish species.
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