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Occurrence and Impacts of Microplastics in Freshwater Fish
Summary
This review summarizes research on microplastic occurrence in freshwater fish across multiple regions, examining ingestion rates, polymer types, and potential health effects. The authors highlight that freshwater fish are widely exposed to microplastics and call for more standardized monitoring to assess risks to fish and to people who eat them.
Plastic production continues to increase as most developed and developing countries continue to adopt the use-and-dispose culture, while some try to implement regulations in the production and recycling of these materials. This high production associated with their durability, unsustainable use, and inappropriate waste management contributes to the introduction and extensive accumulation of plastic debris in natural habitats. Microplastics are of emerging concern, but the amount of research done in freshwater environments is nothing compared to that in marine environments. Following this reality, we seek to investigate the occurrence of these contaminants in freshwater fish and what are the possible impacts to these aquatic species and human beings, since we have a tight relation to this resource.