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Microplastic contamination caused by different rearing modes of Asian swamp eel ( Monopterus albus )
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This study compared microplastic contamination in eels raised in four different aquaculture systems and found that recycled-water systems had the highest microplastic levels in eel tissues and wastewater. The farming method significantly affects how much microplastic contamination accumulates in farmed seafood, with implications for food safety standards in eel production.
At present, research into the impact of microplastic contamination on environmental and food safety in the eel farming industry is insufficient. Here, we investigated the occurrence of microplastics in eels (Monopterus albus), wastewater and soils from recycled-water, cement-pool, net-cage and rice-field rearing systems. Results showed that average microplastic abundances were 2.4 ± 0.8 items/individual, 1.0 ± 0.4 items/L, 27.1 ± 7.0 items/kg in eels, water and soils, respectively. A significant increase in microplastic abundances occurred in all diet-fed eels (recycled-water, cement-pool and net-cage eels) from their pre-rearing to post-rearing stages. Moreover, cluster analysis indicated high similarities in composition of microplastics between fish diets and eels. However, no significant differences in microplastic abundances were observed among the four types of reared eels. Most of the microplastics were found in the foreguts of eels. In addition, wastewater microplastic increased significantly in the cement-pool, net-cage and rice-field farming during eel rearing. This study first revealed microplastic contamination and its characteristics in eels-rearing environments, which suggests the eco-environmental risk of microplastics in aquaculture.
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A study of four aquaculture modes in China's Dongting Lake region found microplastics in all water and aquatic organism samples, with swamp eel ponds having the highest contamination and advanced ecological/facility systems showing notably lower levels. The findings are important for food safety because edible aquatic species across all farming methods were exposed to microplastics, with tailwater continuing to export contamination even from cleaner facilities.
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This review examines how microplastics contaminate fish farms through environmental inputs and aquaculture equipment, affecting water quality and the health of farmed seafood. Since contaminated aquaculture products are a direct pathway for microplastics to reach the human diet, reducing plastic pollution in fish farming is important for food safety.
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This review summarizes how microplastics contaminate aquaculture systems through fishing gear, feed, and polluted water, and examines their effects on farmed aquatic species. Microplastics accumulate in farmed fish and shellfish, raising concerns about food safety for the millions of people who consume aquaculture products. The authors discuss removal strategies and call for better monitoring to protect both aquaculture sustainability and consumer health.
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Researchers compared microplastic levels in European seabass from three different aquaculture farming systems and estimated human exposure through fish consumption. All systems contained microplastics in the water, feed, and fish, with recirculating systems showing the highest concentrations. The study estimates that eating farmed seabass could expose consumers to hundreds of microplastic particles per serving, along with associated metals.
Microplastics in Aquaculture Systems and Their Transfer in the Food Chain
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate throughout aquaculture systems — the fish farms that produce much of the world's seafood — and traced how these particles move up the food chain to reach human consumers, raising concerns about the safety of farmed seafood.
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