A Meta-Analysis of the Characterisations of Plastic Ingested by Fish Globally

Abstract

Plastic contamination in the environment is common but the characterisation of plastic ingested by fish in different environments is lacking. Hence, a meta-analysis was conducted to identify the prevalence of plastic ingested by fish globally. Based on a qualitative analysis of plastic size, it was determined that small microplastics (<1 mm) are predominantly ingested by fish globally. Furthermore, our meta-analysis revealed that plastic fibres (70.6%) and fragments (19.3%) were the most prevalent plastic components ingested by fish, while blue (24.2%) and black (18.0%) coloured plastic were the most abundant. Polyethylene (15.7%) and polyester (11.6%) were the most abundant polymers. Mixed-effect models were employed to identify the effects of the moderators (sampling environment, plastic size, digestive organs examined, and sampling continents) on the prevalence of plastic shape, colour, and polymer type. Among the moderators, only the sampling environment and continent contributed to a significant difference between subgroups in plastic shape and polymer type.

First Evidence of Microplastics in the Yolk and Embryos of Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) from the Central Adriatic Sea: Evaluation of Embryo and Hatchling Structural Integrity and Development

“…The unpredictable fate of MPs in the aquatic environment could explain the different frequencies of both polymers and colors observed among the different sampling sites. Interestingly, within the MP shapes identified, no fibers were observed, although they have been reported as the most frequent MP types ingested by marine animals [44]. The absence of MP fibers in cuttlefish embryos and yolk is probably related to their usually large size which represents a limitation to their transfer within the biological compartments.…”

Climbing Perch Anabas Testudineus Avoid Expanded Polystyrene Pellets Ingestion

“…Only accidental ingestion of EPS with a size less than 2.5 mm poses a risk to this species. The literature review revealed (Lim et al 2022) that sh mostly ingested microplastic with size < 1 mm. Coral sh Acanthochromis polyacanthus frequently grasped plastic less than 0.3 mm in size, because they do not detect a foreign object and consume it with food (Critchell and Hoogenboom 2018).…”

Freshwater Fish Siberian Dace Ingest Microplastics in the Remote Yenisei Tributary

“…Plastic microfragments and microfilms but no spheres were detected in fish GITs as well as in the water and sediments of the river. Meta-analysis recently showed that the largest percentage of MPs ingested by fish was in the form of fibers and fragments [ 53 ].…”