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Microplastics in the edible and inedible tissues of pelagic fishes sold for human consumption in Kerala, India
Summary
Researchers examined microplastics in both edible and inedible tissues of nine commercially important fish species from Kerala, India. They found that 41% of fish had microplastics in inedible tissues like gills and viscera, while 7% had particles in edible muscle and skin, with filter-feeding fish showing higher contamination than visual predators. The study suggests that human consumption of pelagic fish from this region could result in microplastic exposure, though the quantities found in edible tissues were relatively small.
Microplastics in commercially important seafood species is an emerging area of food safety concern. While there have been reports of plastic particles in the gastrointestinal tract of several species, presence of microplastics in edible fish tissues has not yet been reported from India. This study examined the presence of microplastics in the edible (muscle and skin) and inedible (gill and viscera) tissues of nine commercially important pelagic fish species from Kerala, India. A total of 163 particles consisting mainly of fragments (58%) were isolated. Out of 270 fishes analysed (n = 30 per species), 41.1% of the fishes had microplastics in their inedible tissues while only 7% of fishes had microplastics in their edible tissues. The quantity of microplastics in inedible tissue was significantly larger in filter feeders than, that in visual predators (p < 0.05). The average abundance of microplastics in edible tissues was 0.07 ± 0.26 items/fish (i.e., 0.005 ± 0.02 items/g) and was 0.53 ± 0.77 items/fish (i.e., 0.054 ± 0.098 items/g) in inedible tissues. The results suggest the possibility of human intake of microplastics by the consumption of pelagic fishes from this region, albeit in small quantities.
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