Plastic occurrence in commercial fish species of the Black Sea

The occurrence of micro- ( 5 mm), meso- (5-25 mm) and macroplastics ( 25mm) was investigated in seven commercial fish species of the Black Sea. Plastics were found in gastrointestinal track of all species analysed: Engraulis encrasicolus, Trachurus mediterraneus, Sarda sarda, Belone belone, Pomatus saltatrix, Merlangius merlangus and Mullus barbatus. A total of 352 plastic particles were removed from 190 individuals (29% of all individuals examined). The mean number of plastic particles per fish was 0.81 +/- 1.42 par.ind-1 (considering all fish analysed, n=650) and 2.06 +/- 1.09 par.ind-1 (considering only the fish that ingested plastic, n=190). The most common types of plastics were fibres (68.5%), followed by films (19%), fragments (11.9%), foams (0.3 %) and microbeads (0.3%). The most common plastic colour was black (39.3%) followed by blue (19.5%) and transparent (18.1%). The length of plastics ranged from 0.05 to 26.5 mm with an average of 1.84 +/- 2.80 mm. 93.2% of plastics were microplastics, 6.5 % as mesoplastics and 0.3% macroplastics. Plastic occurrence was higher in S. sarda (plastic in 70% of the analysed individuals) and lower in M. merlangus (plastic in 9% of the analysed individuals). The main synthetic polymers identified by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were polypropylene (29.8%), polyester (17.5%), acrylic (15.8%), polyethylene (14%) and polystyrene (1.8%) and 21.1% of polymers were cellulosic. Results show that commercial fish of the Black Sea is contaminated by plastics. This might affect vital functions of fish and pose a risk to ecosystem and human health. The study contributes to a better understanding of the status of plastic pollution in the fish from different habitats of the Black Sea and provides baseline data to implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the basin

Plastic Pollution On Rize Saraykoy Beach In The Southeastern Black Sea

Yüksek nehir deşarjına sahip yarı kapalı bir deniz olan Karadeniz’de, çöpler önemli bir çevresel problemdir. Plastik çöpler dünya genelinde olduğu gibi Karadeniz’de de deniz çöplerinin en yaygın olanıdır. Güneydoğu Karadeniz’de Rize ili Sarayköy plajında plastik çöpler Haziran 2016-Mart 2017 tarihleri arasında izlenmiştir. Plaj çöpleri mevsimsel olarak OSPAR plaj izleme metodolojisi takip edilerek 100 m’lik plaj kesitinde toplanmış ve tiplerine ayrılmışlardır. Çalışma süresince, 43 farklı tip plastik çöp belirlenmiştir. OSPAR çöp fotoğraf kılavuzunda kaydı olmayan 1 yeni plastik çöp tipi (borular) listeye ilave edilmiştir. Plajda en yüksek yaz ve en düşük ilkbaharda olmak üzere ortalama 1.90 ±1.49 adet/m2 ve 14.85 ±12.83 g/m2 plastik çöp bulunmuştur. Çalışma süresince köpük süngerler ve plastik/polistiren parçalar (2.5-50 cm) en sık rastlanılan çöp tipi olarak bulunmuştur. Plajda plastik çöpler kullanım alanlarına göre değerlendirildiğinde, yiyecek, içecek ve genel paketleme ilk üç sırada yer almıştır. Plajda bulunan küçük plastik parçalar rüzgarlarla kolaylıkla denize taşınabilirlikleri ve yakın gelecekte mikro- ve nanoplastikleri oluşturacak olmaları göz önünde bulundurulduğunda, Karadeniz ekosistemi için büyük tehdit oluşturdukları düşünülmektedir.Marine litter is an important environmental problem in the Black Sea which is a semi-enclosed with high river discharge. Plastics are the most common marine litter in the Black Sea as it’s in the other regions in the world. Plastic litter were monitored in the Saraykoy beach of Rize in the South-Eastern Black Sea between June 2016 and March 2017. The beach litter collected seasonally following OSPAR beach monitoring methodology and collected in 100 m beach section and separated into types. During the study, 43 different types of plastic litter were identified. A new plastic litter type (pipes) was added to OSPAR litter photo guide. In the beach, average 1.90 ±1.49 pieces/m2 and 14.85 ±12.83 g/m2 plastic litter were found with the highest in summer and the lowest in spring. During the study, foam sponges and plastic/polystyrene pieces (2.5-50 cm) were the most common type of litter. According to usage, food related, beverages and general packaging comprised top three in the beach. Our results suggest that small plastic pieces might easily transport to the sea by wind and break down to micro- and nanoplastics which would be harm to Black Sea ecosystem

Plastics in an endemic fish species (Alburnus sellal) and its parasite (Ligula intestinalis) in the Upper Tigris River, Türkiye

Occurrence of micro-, meso- and macroplastics in Alburnus sellal and its parasite Ligula intestinalis is reported for the first time in the Tigris River, one of the two large rivers that defines Mesopotamia. Plastic occurrence was assessed from museum fish materials collected in the upper Tigris River between 2007 and 2021. Plastics were found in 57 % of A. sellal specimens (536 individuals) and in 74 % of L. intestinalis specimens (57 individuals). Mean plastic ingestion was 1.27 & PLUSMN; 1.30 items. fish-1 and 1.77 & PLUSMN; 1.79 items. parasite-1 considering all the fish and parasites analysed. Fibres were the most common types of plastics, comprising 96.2 % and 81 % of plastics in A. sellal and L. intestinalis, respectively. Black was the most common colour of plastics found in both fish (37 %) and parasite specimens (58 %). Microplastics comprised 95.5 % and 100 % of plastics found in A. sellal and L. intestinalis, respectively. In both specimens acrylic (PAN) was the most common polymer as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Differences in plastic ingestion were not significantly over time and among regions. No significant correlation was found between plastics ingestion by fish and by parasites. The present assessment shows that native fish species of the Tigris River have been contaminated by plastics by more than a decade. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the status of plastic pollution in fish and parasites, provide plastic pollution baseline data for the Tigris River and highlight the urgent need to elucidate on the distribution and fate of plastics in freshwater environments and their effects on the ecosystem and humans

Plastic occurrence in fish caught in the highly industrialized Gulf of Izmit (Eastern Sea of Marmara, Turkiye)

Occurrence of micro-(<5 mm) and mesoplastics (5-25 mm) in twelve fish species caught off Gulf of Izmit in the Sea of Marmara was investigated. Plastics were found in the gastrointestinal tracks of all the analysed species: Trachurus mediterraneus, Chelon auratus, Merlangius merlangus, Mullus barbatus, Symphodus cinereus, Gobius niger, Chelidonichthys lastoviza, Chelidonichthys lucerna, Trachinus draco, Scorpaena porcus, Scorpaena porcus, Pegusa lascaris, Platichthys flesus. From a total of 374 individuals examined plastics were found in 147 individuals (39%). The average plastic ingestion was 1.14 +/- 1.03 MP. fish-1 (considering all the analysed fish) and 1.77 +/- 0.95 MP. fish-1 (considering only the fish with plastic). Fibres were the primary plastic types found in GITs (74%), fol-lowed by films (18%) and fragments (7%), no foams and microbeads were found. A total of ten different colours of plastics were found with blue (62%) being the most common colour. Length of plastics ranged from 0.13 to 11.76 mm with an average of 1.82 +/- 1.59 mm. A total of 95.5% of plastics were microplastics, and 4.5% as mesoplastics. The mean frequency of plastic occurrence was higher in pelagic fish species (42%), followed by demersal (38%) and bentho-pelagic species (10%). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that 75% of polymers were synthetic with polyethylene terephthalate being the most common polymer. Our results indicated that carnivore species with a preference for fish and decapods were the highest impacted trophic group in the area. Fish species in the Gulf of Izmit are contaminated with plastics, representing a potential risk to ecosystem and human health. Further research is needed to understand the effects of plastic ingestion on biota and possible pathways. Results of this study also provide baseline data for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive Descriptor 10 in the Sea of Marmara