You Are What You Eat, Microplastics in Porbeagle Sharks From the North East Atlantic: Method Development and Analysis in Spiral Valve Content and Tissue

Abstract

Researchers worldwide are studying the environmental distribution and impacts of manufactured or environmentally fragmented small pieces of plastics, so called microplastics (<5 mm). These microplastics eventually build up in the marine environment, threatening marine ecosystems. The magnitude, fate and effects of these microplastics across the food web are largely unknown. Here, we measured digested microplastics in a top predator and critically endangered species, the NorthEast Atlantic Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus), and compared this with general health conditions. A method for quantifying microplastics in spiral valves of porbeagle sharks was developed. Microplastics were detected in all spiral valves, up to 10.4 particles per g wet weight (w.w.) content and 9.5 particles per g w.w. tissue. This equates to individual microplastics loads as high as 3850 particles per spiral valve, most likely a result of trophic transfer. No statistically significant correlations were found between the average number of plastic particles in spiral valve content and tissue and the Condition and Hepatosomatic Index of porbeagle sharks. The results of this research show that NorthEast Atlantic porbeagle sharks ingest and digest microplastics and that there is a potential for microplastic biomonitoring using this species. More research is needed to detect possible health effects of microplastic contamination in these apex predators.

Microplastics in Commercially Important Small Pelagic Fish Species From South Africa

“…Microplastics are widespread in the environment with some known environmental and ecological impacts. Field and laboratory studies have demonstrated the ingestion of microplastics by a large range of marine organisms representing various trophic levels including seabirds, marine mammals, fish and invertebrates (GESAMP, 2015) and detrimental physical effects of microplastics have been reported following ingestion (Wright et al, 2013), including mortality (Maes et al, 2020). There is also evidence that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful sorbed co-contaminants (i.e., hydrophobic organic compounds, additives, pathogens) with the potential for transfer to biota following ingestion (Rochman et al, 2013;Tanaka et al, 2013;Bakir et al, 2014).…”

Improved microplastic processing from complex biological samples using a customized vacuum filtration apparatus

“…For example, Dawson et al (2020) achieved a 93–100% recovery rate of PE and PS fragments, and rayon and PET fibers from spiked barramundi GIT tissue after digestion with 10% KOH. In addition, a > 95% recovery rate of eight spiked polymer types (PE, polyamide, PP, PC, polyvinylchloride, acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene, PS, and PET) has been reported after 17 d of 10% KOH digestion of the GIT spiral valve of Porbeagle shark ( Lamna nasus ) (Maes et al 2020). In contrast, the overall recovery rate for rayon monofilament fibers here was extremely low.…”

Effect of Microplastics on Marine Environment and Aquatic Organisms

“…farklı trofik düzeylerdeki canlılarda tespit edilen mikroplastik varlığı tüm dünya için endişe verici bir hal almıştır [21,36,[55][56][57][58][59][60]. Farklı trofik düzeydeki canlılarda yapılan çalışmalar, mikroplastiklerin beslenme davranışlarında farklılaşma, vücut ağırlığında azalma, bağırsaklarda yaralanma, iltihaplanma ve birikim, gelişim bozuklukları, üreme bozuklukları, oksidatif stres ve toksik etkilere neden olmakla birlikte av-avcı ilişkisini etkileme potansiyeli gibi olumsuzluklara neden olduğunu göstermiştir [61]. Deniz canlıları genellikle yutma yoluyla mikroplastiklere maruz kalmaktadırlar.…”

“…Eski plastiklerin yüzeyinde oluşan biyofilm tabakasında hastalık yapıcı mikroorganizma kolonileri oluşabilmekte ve bu durum mikroplastiklere maruz kalan canlılarda (örneğin mercanlarda) mikrobiyal hastalıklara sebep olmaktadır [55,63]. İnsanların da tükettiği ve ticaretini yaptığı balık ve kabuklulardan izole edilmiş plastik parçacıklar, besin zinciri yoluyla mikroplastiklerin insanlara aktarımı ve olası etkileri hakkındaki soruları gündeme getirmektedir [61]. https://doi.org/10.35193/bseufbd.…”