First record of microplastics in two freshwater fish species (Iheringhthys labrosus and Astyanax lacustris) from the middle section of the Uruguay River, Brazil

Abstract

Aim The aim was to analyze the incidence of microplastics in the diet of fish in the middle Uruguay River. Methods The present work analyzed the gastrointestinal content of two species: Astyanax lacustris and Iheringichthys labrosus. Results This study provides the first evidence of synthetic materials, such as fibres and plastics in the gastrointestinal tract of fish species in the Middle Uruguay River basin. A sample of sixty-one A. lacustris and twenty-nine I. labrosus were examined to highlight the ingestion of microplastics in the middle section of the Uruguay River in Brazil. In the A. lacustris, eleven fibres and two fragments were found in their gastrointestinal contents, corresponding to 18.1% of the specimens, while in the I. labrosus, twelve fibres and one fragment were found, corresponding to 34.5% of the specimens analyzed. Blue staining was also prevalent in the occurrence of microplastics. Conclusions These data are the first record of microplastics in this zone and represent a baseline for this contamination for future studies.

Incidence of Watershed Land Use on the Consumption of Meso and Microplastics by Fish Communities in Uruguayan Lowland Streams

“…Regarding the color of the plastics found, a predominance of blue fiber is consistent with previous data from the region and world trends [4,13,25,[52][53][54][55]. This prevalence of blue colored fibers could be associated with the resistance of this colour to UV radiation degradation [56].…”

Occurrence of microplastics in the digestive tract of fishes from Reserva Natural de Usos Múltiples Monterrico, Guatemala

“…En este estudio el color predominante fue azul, seguido por rojo, siendo los colores menos comunes verde y amarillo. La dominancia del color azul se ha informado anteriormente en especies de peces de agua dulce (Santos et al 2020), en peces de estuario (Pazos et al 2017), en peces marinos costeros (Herrera et al 2019;Barboza et al 2020). Los peces pueden confundir sus presas con ciertos colores de MPS, como lo sugiere Ory et al (2017) en una investigación donde el 80% de Decapterus muroadsi consumieron MPS de color azul similar al de su presa, el copépodo Pontella sinica.…”

Plásticos em ecossistemas costeiros brasileiros: ocorrência e impactos na fauna marinha

“…No Rio Uruguai, o conteúdo gastrointestinal de duas espécies foi analisado, Astyanax lacustris e Iheringichthys labrosus, mostrando a presença de microplástico 18.1% e 34.5% das amostras, respectivamente. Este estudo foi o primeiro registro de microplásticos nessa zona (Santos et al, 2020).…”