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Plastic ingestion by Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) from the Norwegian coast
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Researchers examined 302 Atlantic cod stomachs from six locations along the Norwegian coast and found plastic in 3% overall, but with a hotspot in Bergen City Harbour where 27% of cod contained plastic, and polyester as the most common polymer, suggesting that local urban contamination strongly influences fish exposure.
This study documents the occurrence of microplastic (<5mm), mesoplastics (5-20mm) and macroplastic (>20mm) in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), a common and economically important species of marine fish in Norway. Fish stomachs (n=302) were examined from six different locations along the coast of Norway. Three percent of the individual stomachs contained items identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as synthetic polymers. Bergen City Harbour was a hotspot with 27% of the cod examined found to contain plastic. Polyester was the most frequently detected polymer. All bar one of the stomachs that contained plastic were full of organic stomach content, suggesting a plastic gut clearance rate similar to the ingested food. It is proposed that stomach fullness is an important metric in order to avoid underestimations when assessing the levels of microplastic ingested by fish.
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Low plastic ingestion rate in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from Newfoundland destined for human consumption collected through citizen science methods
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Researchers examined Atlantic cod from Newfoundland and found a low rate of plastic ingestion compared to studies of other species and regions, suggesting that plastic ingestion rates vary substantially by species, habitat, and local pollution levels.
Plastic in digestive tracts and gills of cod and herring from the Baltic Sea
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Researchers found plastic particles in the digestive tracts and gills of Baltic Sea cod and herring, with ingestion rates and particle types differing between the two species, indicating widespread exposure of commercially important fish to plastic pollution.
Low plastic ingestion rate in Atlantic Cod ( Gadus morhua ) from Newfoundland destined for human consumption collected through citizen science methods
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This citizen science study sampled 205 Atlantic cod destined for human consumption in Newfoundland and found that only 5 (2.4 percent) had eaten plastic — a lower ingestion rate than reported for many other fish species. The authors discuss whether cod feeding behavior or the sampling context explains this low rate and note implications for human dietary exposure.
Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea
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Researchers examined gastrointestinal tracts of 290 North and Baltic Sea fish and detected plastic in 5.5% of individuals, with pelagic species like herring and mackerel ingesting plastic at three times the rate of bottom-dwelling cod and flounder, and polyethylene making up nearly 40% of identified polymer types.
Microplastic in tissue of naturally exposed fish from a plastic polluted coastal ecosystem- An investigation of the evidence for bioaccumulation
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Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion and potential bioaccumulation in naturally exposed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from a plastic-polluted coastal ecosystem, examining whether older individuals accumulate higher microplastic concentrations as would be expected if bioaccumulation occurs.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.