title: Ingestion of microplastics by commercial fish off the Portuguese coast.
abstract: The digestive tract contents of 263 individuals from 26 species of commercial fish were examined for microplastics. These were found in 17 species, corresponding to 19.8% of the fish of which 32.7% had ingested more than one microplastic. Of all the fish that ingested microplastics, 63.5% was benthic and 36.5% pelagic species. A total of 73 microplastics were recorded, 48 (65.8%) being fibres and 25 (34.2%) being fragments. Polymers were polypropylene, polyethylene, alkyd resin, rayon, polyester, nylon and acrylic. The mean of ingested microplastics was 0.27 ± 0.63 per fish, (n=263). Pelagic fish ingested more particles and benthic fish ingested more fibres, but no significant differences were found. Fish with the highest number of microplastics were from the mouth of the Tagus river. Scomber japonicus registered the highest mean of ingested microplastics, suggesting its potential as indicator species to monitor and investigate trends in ingested litter, in the MSFD marine regions.
authors.affiliation: MARE - Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Diogo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: MARE - Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal. Electronic address: psobral@fct.unl.pt.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sobral
authors.affiliation: LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Conservação e Restauro, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica. 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana Lia
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Docapesca-Portos e Lotas S.A., Av. Brasília-Pedrouços, 1400-038 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002482:Cellulose / Q000032:analysis; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D063366:Estuaries; D005399:Fishes; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000737:chemistry; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000032:analysis; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000032:analysis; D011174:Portugal; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D011126:Polypropylenes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D020959:Polyethylene; D002482:Cellulose; C012024:rayon, purified
keywords: Commercial fish; Ingestion; Microplastics; Portugal