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Does deforestation contribute to microplastic contamination in stream fish in the Southwestern Amazon?
Summary
A study of 584 fish from 20 Amazon streams found that fish in deforested areas ingested significantly more microplastics than those in forested watersheds, with feeding strategy and seasonal flooding also influencing exposure. Deforestation not only threatens biodiversity directly but also increases wildlife exposure to plastic pollution, compounding the ecological damage of forest loss.
This study investigated the presence of microplastics (MPs) in fish from streams with different levels of forest cover in the southwestern Amazon. Fish were collected using seine and dip nets along an 80 m stretch of 20 streams. Among the 584 fish analyzed, 196 individuals (33%) contained microplastics in their digestive tracts, with MPs detected in all species examined. Blue and black fibers < 0.1 mm were the predominant types of MPs found in the analyzed fish species. Polyester, polyamide and polypropylene were identified as the main polymers. Vegetation cover in micro-watersheds influenced MPs ingestion by Amazonian stream fish, with more MPs found in the digestive tract of fishes from deforested areas compared to those from forested ones. Environmental characteristics, such as seasonal precipitation patterns, and ecological traits, including feeding strategies and habitat use, were also important drivers of MP incorporation by fish species. Our results indicate that fish from sparsely forested streams could become even more susceptible to microplastic contamination as the frequency and intensity of drought and flood events change.