Plastics have widespread applications for human use, but their disposal poses a significant threat to living organisms and these plastics end up in the marine environment. They will be fragmented into small pieces as a result of ultraviolet exposure, climatic changes, and temperature changes; Microplastics (MPs) are plastics that are less than 5 mm in size. The level of MP (Microplastic) pollution in commercially harvested fish from different habitant in Vellore, India is currently unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence and characteristics of ingested or inhaled MPs in marine and freshwater fishes highly consumed by the local population. Fish gills and gastrointestinal tracts were aseptically dissected and digested (30% hydrogen peroxide), then filtered and examined under a microscope for the presence of MPs. Further analysis was performed on the samples using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDAX). Of the samples analysed, a total of 875 MPs were recovered from 32 fishes, with 478 from marine fishes and 397 from freshwater fishes. The most common colours of the MPs were blue and black, while stereo microscopy analysis revealed that the majority of MPs were fibers (91%), followed by fragments (8%) and a small number of films. The ATR-FTIR analysis identified polyvinyl alcohol (39.76%), polyethylene (16.51%), methylcellulose (12.84%) and styrene (9.07%), as the predominant types of MPs in the fish samples. This study highlights the significant impact of MP pollution on marine ecosystems. The research provides insight into the nature and extent of MPs in fish from both marine and freshwater habitats, with an aim for policies and interventions aimed to reduce plastic pollution in the locality.

中文翻译：

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市售鱼类中微塑料污染的评估

塑料在人类中有着广泛的应用，但它们的处置对生物体构成了重大威胁，并且这些塑料最终进入了海洋环境。它们会因紫外线照射、气候变化、温度变化而碎裂成小块；微塑料 (MP) 是尺寸小于 5 毫米的塑料。印度韦洛尔不同居民商业捕捞的鱼类中 MP（微塑料）污染程度目前尚不清楚。因此，本研究旨在确定当地居民大量消费的海洋和淡水鱼类中摄入或吸入 MP 的存在和特征。无菌解剖并消化鱼鳃和胃肠道（30% 过氧化氢），然后过滤并在显微镜下检查 MP 的存在。使用衰减全反射傅立叶变换红外光谱 (ATR-FTIR) 和能量色散 X 射线 (EDAX) 扫描电子显微镜 (SEM) 对样品进行进一步分析。在分析的样品中，从 32 种鱼类中总共回收了 875 种 MP，其中 478 种来自海洋鱼类，397 种来自淡水鱼类。 MP最常见的颜色是蓝色和黑色，而立体显微镜分析显示，大多数MP是纤维（91％），其次是碎片（8％）和少量薄膜。 ATR-FTIR 分析确定聚乙烯醇 (39.76%)、聚乙烯 (16.51%)、甲基纤维素 (12.84%) 和苯乙烯 (9.07%) 是鱼样品中 MP 的主要类型。这项研究强调了 MP 污染对海洋生态系统的重大影响。该研究深入了解了海洋和淡水栖息地鱼类中 MP 的性质和范围，旨在制定旨在减少当地塑料污染的政策和干预措施。