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Photodegradation of polyamide, polyester, and HDPE aquaculture cage nets: Implications for microplastic pollution
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Scientists studied plastic fishing nets used in fish farms and found that they break down in sunlight and water, releasing tiny plastic pieces called microplastics into the water. Fish raised in these cage farms had more plastic fibers in their meat compared to wild-caught fish from the same area. This matters because people who eat farmed fish may be consuming more microplastics, though more research is needed to understand the health effects.
The increased demand in protein-based food has led to the expansion of aquaculture especially cage fish farming sector. The commonly adopted cage fish farming nets namely, polyamide polyester and HDPE based polymers are susceptible to physical and chemical disintegration. The present study evaluated the physical and chemical alterations imparted to these commercial cage nets when subjected to sunlight and UV irradiation under dry and wet conditions at different salinity, representing fresh and brackish water environments. The results suggest that there is a higher weight loss, surface changes and alterations in chemical bonding for the polyamide cage nets. An analysis using fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS identified polyester and HDPE as more preferable materials than polyamide for cage nets, as polyamide exhibited the highest levels of degradation. To examine the implication of cage farms on the microplastic distribution in estuarine waters, water samples from cage farm areas and open lake areas from the Ashtamudi Estuary India were analysed for microplastics. The upstream cage farmed areas exhibited a higher concentration of microplastics with polyamide fibres being predominant among the others. An evaluation of the ecological risk of cage farming nets was further undertaken on the cage farmed fish and open catch fish from the estuary. The edible tissue of cage fishes Etroplus Suratensis exhibited a higher fibre content and fibres were identified to be polyamide while the microplastic contamination in open catch fishes were to a lesser degree and was identified to be polyester. The study highlights the environmental impact and risk posed with plastic net cage farming practises.
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Fish farmed in sea cages often bite the nylon netting used to contain them, and this study found that this behaviour leads to measurable microplastic accumulation in fish digestive systems in both Turkish and Iranian aquaculture sites. Comparing caged fish to wild populations revealed that cage netting is a significant additional source of microplastic exposure. Since these fish are eaten by people, the findings raise questions about the food safety of farmed seafood and highlight the need for microplastic-safe materials in aquaculture.
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in aquaculture ponds in Bangladesh, finding widespread particles in both the water and farmed fish including tilapia and pangas. Fibers were the most common type, likely from textile and fishing net waste, and the contamination levels posed potential health risks to consumers. Since farmed fish is a major protein source in Bangladesh and many developing countries, these findings highlight a direct pathway for microplastics to reach people through their diet.
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Researchers reviewed microplastic pollution in aquaculture systems, finding concentrations as high as 362 particles per liter in water and nearly 125,000 per kilogram in sediment, with microplastics accumulating in farmed fish and shellfish and potentially reaching humans through the food chain.
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This review examines aquaculture-derived microplastics from degrading fishing nets and foam buoys, finding they represent a significant but overlooked source of marine microplastic pollution with distinct environmental consequences compared to other sources.
Occurrence of micro- nanoplastics in a commercial recirculated aquaculture system and their translocation to cultured fish organs: A baseline study
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Researchers found microplastics and nanoplastics inside the muscle, brain, and gut of Nile tilapia raised in a commercial fish farm that uses recirculated water, identifying multiple plastic polymer types in fish tissue — a finding that suggests farmed fish are a direct route for microplastic exposure in people who eat them.
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