Microplastic abundance in three commercial fish from the coast of Lima, Peru

Abstract

Microplastics (< 5 mm) are widespread within the marine environment, posing a major threat to marine biota. The aim of the present study was to investigate microplastic contamination in three widespread and highly commercial fish from the coast of Lima, Peru. Peruvian silverside (Odontesthes regia), Peruvian morwong (Cheilodactylus variegatus), and Peruvian grunt (Anisotremus scapularis) specimens were caught off the coast of Lima. Fish stomach and intestines were extracted and submerged in 10% (w/v) KOH, followed by 24 h incubation at 60 °C. The resulting supernatant solution was vacuum filtrated and filters were then observed under an optical microscope and stereomicroscope. Strict quality control and external contamination prevention measures were taken. Microplastic abundance, type and color were recorded. Quality control measures resulted in reduced external contamination. C. variegatus was the most contaminated fish (5.13 ± 0.81 MP/individual), similar to A. scapularis (5.00 ± 0.46 MP/individual), but significantly different to O. regia (0.43 ± 0.11 MP/individual). Fibers were the overall most abundant microplastic type, while blue the dominant color. Results indicated highly contaminated fish, compared to those from other parts of the SE Pacific. Microplastic ingestion by C. variegatus and A. scapularis may be subject to trophic transfer from their natural prey. Highly populated cities and poor solid waste management may contribute to worsen microplastic ingestion by native marine species. The need for further research and a marine microplastic monitoring program was discussed.

Preliminary observations of plastic debris in the gastrointestinal tract of sea urchin Tetrapygus niger

“…A general low prevalence of MPs is reported in T. niger when compared to fi sh and bivalves from the Lima Region reported in previous research (17,19). MP intake by sea urchins are likely to be directly infl uenced by their foraging activity.…”

“…Th e dominance of fi ber particles in marine species is commonly reported in literature (17,19,22,23). Importantly, Perez-Venegas (24) evidenced Otariids from the Peruvian and Chilean coast to have ingested mainly fi bers.…”

“…In Peru, some studies have studied the presence of MPs in marine environments (3,16,17), and two assessing invertebrates (18,19). Here, the abundance and characteristics of MPs extracted from the gastrointestinal tract of sea urchin Tetrapygus niger were reported.…”

Public knowledge and awareness of the conservation of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along the central coast of Peru

“…To conserve the common bottlenose dolphin in Peru, more research on this population is needed (i.e. distribution analyses), as well as a coastal management plan that addresses issues such as the consequences of increasing urbanization of coastal areas such as, for example, the high pollution on beaches close to the city (Vergaray et al, 2007; De‐la‐Torre et al, 2019; De‐la‐Torre et al, 2021), and the reduction of bycatch. A proper coastal management plan needs to address marine spatial planning, ecological modelling and the development of tools to communicate science to managers, as well as the interaction between coastal ecosystems and socio‐economics to prevent negative impacts on the fauna that inhabits this area (Nobre, 2011).…”

Pollution by microplastic in highly crowded sandy beaches in Lima, Peru

“…In the marine ecosystem of Peru, plastics and MPs have also been reported in sediments (Cisneros et al., 2021), marine invertebrates (De‐La‐torre, Apaza‐Vargas, et al., 2020; De‐la‐Torre, Laura, et al., 2021), fishes (De‐la‐Torre et al., 2019; Fernández‐Ojeda et al., 2021), and top predators (Perez‐Venegas et al., 2020; Santillán et al., 2020). The abundance of microplastics varies significantly over time, several studies have evidenced the temporal variability of MPs in diverse aquatic environments, which provides insights concerning the influence of hydrodynamics and possible sources (Imhof et al., 2017; Munari et al., 2021).…”