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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Ingestion of microplastics by commercial fish off the Portuguese coast

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2015 954 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Paula Sobral Diogo Neves, Diogo Neves, Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Joana Lia Ferreira, Joana Lia Ferreira, Joana Lia Ferreira, Joana Lia Ferreira, Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Joana Lia Ferreira, Tânia R. Pereira, Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Joana Lia Ferreira, Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Tânia R. Pereira, Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral Paula Sobral

Summary

Researchers examined the digestive tracts of commercial fish caught off the Portuguese coast and found microplastics — mainly fibers — in a substantial proportion of individuals across multiple species.

Polymers
PE PP nylon
Body Systems
Digestive
Study Type Environmental

The digestive tract contents of 263 individuals from 26 species of commercial fish were examined for microplastics. These were found in 17 species, corresponding to 19.8% of the fish of which 32.7% had ingested more than one microplastic. Of all the fish that ingested microplastics, 63.5% was benthic and 36.5% pelagic species. A total of 73 microplastics were recorded, 48 (65.8%) being fibres and 25 (34.2%) being fragments. Polymers were polypropylene, polyethylene, alkyd resin, rayon, polyester, nylon and acrylic. The mean of ingested microplastics was 0.27 ± 0.63 per fish, (n=263). Pelagic fish ingested more particles and benthic fish ingested more fibres, but no significant differences were found. Fish with the highest number of microplastics were from the mouth of the Tagus river. Scomber japonicus registered the highest mean of ingested microplastics, suggesting its potential as indicator species to monitor and investigate trends in ingested litter, in the MSFD marine regions.

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