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Microplastic bioaccumulation in estuary-caught fishery resource
Zhenling Li1, Min Chao2, Xiaokang He3
1State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|May 5, 2022
Summary
Microplastics (MPs) accumulate more in bottom-dwelling organisms and crustaceans than fish in estuaries. This research highlights risks to fisheries and human health from MP contamination.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Estuaries are complex environments where freshwater and saltwater mix, creating unique conditions for microplastic (MP) behavior.
- Microplastic ingestion by fishery resources poses potential health risks to humans through the food chain.
- Understanding MP bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms is crucial for ecological and human health risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microplastic bioaccumulation in fish and crustaceans from the Yangtze River estuary and offshore areas.
- To identify the primary organs of MP accumulation in fish and influencing factors.
- To assess the ecological risk of microplastics based on organism uptake and size.
Main Methods:
- Sampling of 105 fish (14 species) and 86 crustaceans (5 species) from estuarine and offshore environments.
- Comprehensive analysis of MP bioaccumulation, accumulative organs, and influencing factors.
- Comparison of MP content between benthic and pelagic species, and between fish and crustaceans.
Main Results:
- Benthic organisms showed significantly higher MP accumulation than pelagic animals.
- Crustaceans had higher MP content than fish, with burrowing behavior enhancing retention.
- Accumulated MPs in fish were mainly cellulose and polyethylene terephthalate (0.1–1 mm), found in skin, gills, and viscera, not muscle.
- Estuarine areas exhibited higher MP uptake incidence than offshore areas due to anthropogenic impacts.
Conclusions:
- Microplastic accumulation varies significantly between different aquatic organisms and habitats.
- The size and type of microplastics, along with organism behavior, influence bioaccumulation and retention.
- Estuarine ecosystems face higher microplastic contamination risks, necessitating further research on food web transfer and human exposure assessment.
