Microplastics in stomach contents of juvenile Patagonian blennies (Eleginops maclovinus)

Microplastics are one of the major environmental issues that need to be addressed because they are starting to impact food chains and are also affecting human populations. The size, colour, form, and abundance of microplastics in young blennies of the species Eleginops maclovinus were examined in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Science of the total environment 2023-10, Vol.894, p.164684-164684, Article 164684
Main Authors: Mendoza, S.M., García-Moll, M.P., Fernandez, V.H., Barrios, M., Mena, R., Miriuka, S., Cledon, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benthic feeders
Cod icefishes
Negative buoyancy
Sea bass
Trophic behaviour
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Summary:Microplastics are one of the major environmental issues that need to be addressed because they are starting to impact food chains and are also affecting human populations. The size, colour, form, and abundance of microplastics in young blennies of the species Eleginops maclovinus were examined in the current study. While the stomach contents of 70 % of the studied individuals contained microplastics, 95 % of them included fibres. Individual size and the largest particle size that can be eaten, which ranges between 0.09 and 1.5 mm present no statistical correlation. The quantity of particles taken in by each individual does not change with size. The most present microfibers colours were blue and red. Sampled fibres were analysed with FT-IR and no natural fibres were detected, proving the synthetic origin of the detected particles. These findings suggest that protected coastlines create conditions that favour the encounter of microplastics increasing local wildlife exposure to microplastics, raising the danger of their ingestion with potential physiological, ecological, economical and human health consequences. [Display omitted] •Benthic fishes ingested microplastics independently of the size.•Plastics were present in 70 % of the studied individuals.•Microfibers were the predominant for of plastic in gut content.
ISSN:0048-9697
1879-1026
DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164684