Abstract

This study is first study reporting the microplastic abundance in soft tissues of a bivalvae Brachidontes pharaonis collected from 4 stations of İskenderun Bay. A total of 245 B. pharaonis specimens were examined and results showed that among examined specimens, 95 of them contained microplastic in their soft tissues. When all the data combined, mean MP abundance was found as 0.4±0.5 MPs ind-1 and 0.3±0.4 MPs g-1 ww. Fibers were predominant type of MPs and accounted for 75% of total extracted MPs, followed by fragments (25%). Majority of MPs were less than 1 mm and black. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the extracted MPs were polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Identified polymer types indicate that aquatic biota impacted by the anthropogenic influences such as agriculture, farming, fishing, household, etc. Results obtained in this study contribute the knowledge related with the microplastic contamination levels in marine biota.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.