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Widespread microplastic ingestion in Colombian Caribbean marine fish: Trophic influence, spatial-temporal trends, and polymer composition
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Researchers examined three commercially important fish species from the Colombian Caribbean and found microplastics in over 82% of individuals across both continental and island waters. Fiber and fragment shapes were the most common types, with higher concentrations found in coastal areas and during the wet season. The findings suggest that microplastic ingestion is widespread among Caribbean fish, with potential implications for seafood consumers in the region.
The ingestion of microplastics (MPs) by marine fish is increasingly frequent due to the ubiquity of plastic pollution in marine environments. This study evaluated the prevalence, characteristics, and possible sources of MPs in the gastrointestinal tract of three ecologically and commercially important fish species (Caranx crysos, Euthynnus alletteratus, and Pterois volitans) from the Continental Caribbean (CC) Sea in the Department of Atlántico and the Insular Caribbean (IC) Sea on the San Andrés Island of Colombia. A high prevalence of MPs ingestion was found in all species (82.6 % in CC; 84.6 % in IC), with spatial and temporal variability in MPs abundance. Higher concentrations were found in the continental area and during the wet season. Fibers and fragments were the predominant shapes, with blue, black, and gray being the most common colors. Chemical characterization by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared microspectroscope (μATR-FTIR) revealed different polymer types, including polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and synthetic and natural polymer blends. Trophic ecology analysis showed that species feeding on smaller fish and bottom invertebrates had higher MPs burdens. However, MPs ingestion was not consistently associated with fish condition factor. The widespread presence of different polymer types, including emerging threats from synthetic-natural polymer blends and sizes smaller than 50 μm, underscores the pervasive nature of plastic pollution in this region and its potential ecological implications, particularly for species at higher trophic levels and overall marine ecosystem health.
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Differential accumulation of microplastics in the gills and gastrointestinal tract of fish species of commercial and ecological importance in the Colombian Caribbean Sea
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the guts and gills of virtually every fish they tested from Colombia's Caribbean coast, including species people commonly eat. The plastics, likely from textiles, fishing gear, and packaging, were more abundant during rainy season and varied by fish species and size, suggesting that seafood in this region is widely contaminated with microplastics that could potentially make their way up the food chain to humans who eat fish.
Microplastics in water and fish of commercial interest: Distribution and relation to ecology in the colombians caribbean region, south america
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Researchers evaluated microplastic contamination in surface waters and the gastrointestinal tracts of commercially important and invasive fish species along the Colombian Caribbean coast and San Andrés Island, examining the relationship between microplastic distribution and species ecology and geography.
Microplastics in water and fish of commercial interest: Distribution and relation to ecology in the colombians caribbean region, south america
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Researchers evaluated microplastic contamination in surface waters and the gastrointestinal tracts of two commercially important fish species and one invasive species along the Caribbean coast of Colombia's Atlantico department and San Andres Island, relating distribution patterns to the ecology and geographic range of each species.
Dinámica temporal de los hábitos tróficos e incidencia de microplásticos en bagres (Ariidae) en la bahía de Buenaventura, Pacífico colombiano
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Four species of catfish in Colombia's Buenaventura Bay were found to have ingested microplastics, with rates of 9–13% across species and higher ingestion in adults during the rainy season. The finding that commercially harvested fish in a bay heavily used for artisanal fishing contain microplastics raises direct food safety concerns for the coastal communities that depend on these species as a primary protein source.
Impact of contamination due to ingestion of microplastics on commercial fish in relation to their trophic habits
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Researchers evaluated the ingestion of microplastics by 28 Sciaenidae and 12 Ariidae fish species from estuaries in Tumaco and Buenaventura Bay, Colombia, examining stomach contents of 1,652 specimens across high and low precipitation seasons in 2020-2021 and analyzing how trophic level and other biological characteristics influence microplastic uptake.
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