Microplastics in brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) from an Irish riverine system

O’Connor, Joyce; Murphy, Sinéad; Lally, Heather; O’Connor, Ian; Nash, Róisín; O’Sullivan, John; Bruen, Michael; Heerey, Linda; Koelmans, Albert A.; Cullagh, Alan; Cullagh, Declan; Mahon, Anne Marie

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115572

Cited by 29 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…D'Souza et al (2020) found microplastics (500 μm to 5 mm) in the fecal and regurgitate remains of white‐throated dipper from four catchments in south Wales (UK) and discovered that particles were largely similar in morphology and size as those previously described in key prey items (i.e., Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera) for the same region (Windsor et al, 2019). We too observed similarities in the characteristics of microplastics recovered in spraints from the River Slaney catchment and those previously found in brown trout from the same catchment (O'Connor et al, 2020), particularly in regard to the dominance of fibers (94%) and larger particles (78%) (350 μm to ≤5 mm), though for brown trout, there was a considerable proportion of fragments recovered (GITs: 25%; stomach contents: 24%). Interestingly, concentrations recorded by D'Souza et al (2020) in dipper regurgitates (Wales, UK) were double that of spraints in the present study (7.65 ± 1.64 particles/g dw), while fecal samples contained over four times the concentration (15.85 ± 2.85 particles/g dw).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Though sample sizes here were small, we found no difference in dietary composition between sampling season and sampling region, while no existing trend was observed with microplastic abundance or microplastic concentration. Interestingly however, the River Slaney catchment, which had the highest microplastic concentration of all regions, also had the highest occurrence of salmonids (Table 2) though estimated fork lengths of 66–117 mm were below the mean fork length of brown trout previously assessed for microplastics in this catchment (149 ± 42 mm; mean ± SD) (O'Connor et al, 2020). Overall, the estimated fork lengths of salmonids in the present study (66–150 mm) (River Slaney and southwestern region combined) are comparable to those documented elsewhere in Europe, where size classes recovered in otter diet were described as mostly “small” (Lyach & Čech, 2017; Marcolin et al, 2020; Miranda et al, 2006), suggesting a possible preference for smaller individuals, which have a higher catchability (Marcolin et al, 2020; Miranda et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

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Microplastics in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) spraints and their potential as a biomonitoring tool in freshwater systems

et al. 2022

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The ubiquitous nature of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems may have serious implications for aquatic biota. While microplastic research in freshwater ecosystems is increasing, very few studies have assessed the physical presence of microplastics among top predators. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), a top predator of aquatic ecosystems, is one of the most widely distributed otter species and has a broad habitat niche. The opportunistic collection of otter spraints (i.e., feces) presents a valuable opportunity to assess pollutants of freshwater ecosystems through noninvasive means. Here, we assessed the prevalence, abundance, and concentration of microplastics (100 μm to 5 mm), as well as dietary remains, in 53 spraint samples collected over eight river catchments spanning three regions of Ireland. We found microplastics present in 57% of spraints at an abundance of 1.2 ± 0.1 microplastics (MPs)/spraint (mean ± SE) and a concentration of 3.8 ± 0.6 MPs/g (dry weight). Fibers were the dominant particle type recovered (85%), followed by film (10%). No significant differences in microplastic concentrations were detected between the three regions assessed, or between spraints collected from areas upstream (i.e., “lower” exposure) or downstream (“higher” exposure) of putative microplastic sources, which were defined using spatial vector data. While microplastic concentrations were not explained by spraint condition (i.e., fresh, drying, or dry), spraints collected in autumn had a significantly higher concentration than spring and summer. Furthermore, microplastic abundance or concentration could not be linked to dietary composition based on the items identified. From a trophic perspective, this study showed that the presence of microplastics in the feces of otter is most likely being obtained through its prey (i.e., secondary ingestion). While there may be limitations associated with using spraints as a biomonitoring tool for microplastics in freshwater systems, particularly with respect to otter home range and dietary niche breadth, they could still be employed for a regional assessment of microplastic levels.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Microplastics in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) spraints and their potential as a biomonitoring tool in freshwater systems

et al. 2022

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“…Already in the paper by Thompson et al published in 2004, where the term “microplastics” was introduced for the first time, the identification of MPs from marine samples was performed by FTIR spectroscopy. Since then, this method remains most applicable in MP studies worldwide and has already shown to be efficient for the identification, quantification, and characterization of MP contaminations in aquatic ,,,,,− and terrestrial , environments, in influents, effluents, and sludge of WWTPs, ,, in ambient air ,, as well as in drinking water − ,, and food. ,, …”

Section: Chemical Analysis Of Microplasticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Analysis of Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Challenges, Advanced Methods, and Perspectives

2021

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Microplastics and nanoplastics have become emerging particulate anthropogenic pollutants and rapidly turned into a field of growing scientific and public interest. These tiny plastic particles are found in the environment all around the globe as well as in drinking water and food, raising concerns about their impacts on the environment and human health. To adequately address these issues, reliable information on the ambient concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics is needed. However, micro- and nanoplastic particles are extremely complex and diverse in terms of their size, shape, density, polymer type, surface properties, etc. While the particle concentrations in different media can vary by up to 10 orders of magnitude, analysis of such complex samples may resemble searching for a needle in a haystack. This highlights the critical importance of appropriate methods for the chemical identification, quantification, and characterization of microplastics and nanoplastics. The present article reviews advanced methods for the representative mass-based and particle-based analysis of microplastics, with a focus on the sensitivity and lower-size limit for detection. The advantages and limitations of the methods, and their complementarity for the comprehensive characterization of microplastics are discussed. A special attention is paid to the approaches for reliable analysis of nanoplastics. Finally, an outlook for establishing harmonized and standardized methods to analyze these challenging contaminants is presented, and perspectives within and beyond this research field are discussed.

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“…The studies reviewed evinced the presence of theses pollutants in crustaceans, molluscs, and fish (Tables 2 and 3). There are studies reporting noteworthy levels: 287,527 particles/fish, 103-183 particles/fish, and 2.19 particles/individual [86][87][88]. MPs intake range: 2 × 10 −5 -33,626 particles/day.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: A Challenge for Food Safety

Rubio

Alejandro-Vega

Paz-Montelongo

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Microplastics (MPs) have been identified as emerging environmental pollutants classified as primary or secondary based on their source. Composition, shape, size, and colour, among other characteristics, are associated with their capacity to access the food chain and their risks. While the environmental impact of MPs has received much attention, the risks for humans derived from their dietary exposure have not been yet assessed. Several institutions and researchers support that the current knowledge does not supply solid data to complete a solid risk characterization of dietary MPs. The aim of this paper is to review the current knowledge about MPs in foods and to discuss the challenges and gaps for a risk analysis. The presence of MPs in food and beverages has been worldwide observed, but most authors considered the current data to be not only insufficient but of questionable quality mainly because of the outstanding lack of consensus about a standardized quantifying method and a unified nomenclature. Drinking water, crustaceans/molluscs, fish, and salt have been identified as relevant dietary sources of MPs for humans by most published studies. The hazard characterization presents several gaps concerning the knowledge of the toxicokinetic, toxicodynamic, and toxicity of MPs in humans that impede the estimation of food safety standards based on risk. This review provides a tentative exposure assessment based on the levels of MPs published for drinking water, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, and salt and using the mean European dietary consumption estimates. The intake of 2 L/day of water, 70.68 g/day of crustaceans/molluscs, 70.68 g/day of fish, and 9.4 g/day of salt would generate a maximum exposure to 33,626, 212.04, 409.94 and 6.40 particles of MPs/day, respectively. The inexistence of reference values to evaluate the MPs dietary intake prevents the dietary MPs risk characterization and therefore the management of this risk. Scientists and Food Safety Authorities face several challenges but also opportunities associated to the occurrence of MPs in foods. More research on the MPs characterization and exposure is needed bearing in mind that any future risk assessment report should involve a total diet perspective.

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Microplastics in brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) from an Irish riverine system

Cited by 29 publications

References 52 publications

Microplastics in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) spraints and their potential as a biomonitoring tool in freshwater systems

Microplastics in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) spraints and their potential as a biomonitoring tool in freshwater systems

Chemical Analysis of Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Challenges, Advanced Methods, and Perspectives

Microplastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: A Challenge for Food Safety

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