Low microplastic loads in riverine European eel ( Anguilla anguilla ) from southwest England during their marine–freshwater transition

Abstract

The microplastic loads in elvers of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla , sampled in the lower reaches of three English rivers, were very low (incidence: 3.3%, mean ± s.d. : 0.03 ± 0.18 particles) and did not vary with body length or between rivers. Particles were mostly black, polyolefins, fibres and fragments of size 101–200 μm. Current levels indicate a low contamination pressure locally and, consequently, management efforts might prioritise mitigating the effects of other stressors affecting the species.

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