Occurrence of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract and Gills of Fish from Guangdong, South China

Abstract

Microplastic pollution has become a major global concern. Coastal areas are densely populated with human activity, commercial enterprises, and fishing, resulting in high incidences of fish microplastic pollution. It has been shown that microplastics exist in commercial fish in coastal areas of Guangdong, China. Most of the microplastics were less than 1 mm, white and blue fibers. The abundance, type, shape and color of microplastics in gills and in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of eight species of commercial fish in the coastal waters of central and western Guangdong Province were analyzed. The overall abundance of microplastic particles in fish was 6.6 items/individual, with an average of 2.2 particles in gills and 4.4 in the GIT. The GIT of carnivorous fish was less likely to ingest microplastics than that of herbivores or omnivores. Middle-water fish, on the other hand, are less likely to have their gills contaminated with microplastics. These results revealed the degree of microplastic pollution in fish tissues from the central and western coastal areas of Guangdong province. The quantity of microplastics in the GIT of fish in the Pearl River Delta was the highest compared with the surrounding areas.

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