Microplastics pollution of seafoods and processed seafood products distributed in Incheon area

Abstract

This study was intended to obtain the basic data for a wide range of microplastics (MPs) contamination studies. The contamination of MPs in seafood and processed seafood products distributed in Incheon area was quantified. For this, 51 seafoods and 50 processed seafood products in Incheon were collected randomly from January 2019 to October 2019, and the abundance, size, and type of MPs in the samples were identified by FT-IR spectroscopy. The average MPs content was 1.06±3.38 MPs/g and 0.89±1.29 MPs/g in seafoods and processed seafood products, respectively. In both samples, MPs of 100-500 μm accounted for the majority of the particles, with the most common MPs as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However, the level of contamination of MPs in each of the samples was significantly different, even for the same species. For more accurate analysis of MPs contamination in seafoods and processed seafood products, specific information such as habitat, environment, market supply, regional source, and production process might be required. In addition, extensive and continuous accumulation of data is necessary for them to be used as the basic data with a standardized method for analyzing MPs.