Microplastics contamination in commercial marine fish from the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

This study investigated the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in commercial fish species from the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Bangladesh. The gastrointestinal tracts of 100 individuals from 10 species of commercial marine fish were examined for microplastics. Microplastics were detected in all species. A total of 215 microplastics were recovered with an average abundance in the range of 2.2 ± 0.89 microplastics per individual. Five types of microplastics were found: fibers, films, fragments, foams, and granules, which accounted for 53.4%, 40%, 3.3%, 1.9%, and 1.4% of the total, respectively. Among the identified microplastics, green (39%) was the most dominant color, and <500μm (85%) size was the most dominant. Polymers were polyethylene (55%), polypropylene (33%), polyester (6%), polyurethane (2%), ethylene propylene diene monomer (2%), and styrene butadiene rubber (2%). The study results show the common incident of microplastics in fish and open the way for further studies to better explain factors influencing the occurrence of microplastics in fish in the Bay of Bengal and risk assessment.