4.7 Article

In situ microplastic ingestion by neritic zooplankton of the central Mexican Pacific

Journal

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Volume 319, Issue -, Pages -

Publisher

ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120994

Keywords

Plastics; Raman micro-spectroscopy; Polymers; Chaetognatha; Decapoda; Copepoda; Amphipoda; Fish larvae

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This study analyzed the ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton from two bays in the Mexican central Pacific. The results showed that certain zooplankton groups consumed microplastics, and omnivorous species were more likely to ingest them. However, the ingestion of microplastics cannot be attributed to a single factor, and variables such as sampling area, feeding strategy, size, and seasonality need to be considered.
Microplastics (MPs) are present across the global ocean and can be encountered by many species, including zooplankton. Although they fall within the size range of zooplankton prey, there are few studies on MPs ingestion carried out in situ. In this study, we analyzed MPs ingestion during two seasons (rainy and dry) of organisms from 5 taxonomic groups of zooplankton from two bays of the Mexican central Pacific: Manzanillo and Navidad. In total, 2643 individuals were analyzed, and of those 23 individuals contained MPs. The ingestion rate by taxo-nomic group was 1 MP/36 copepods (0.02), 1 MP/30 decapods-mysis (0.03), 1 MP/29 decapods-megalopa (0.03), and 1 MP/200 fish larvae (0.005). No plastics were found in chaetognaths, amphipods, or decapods-zoea. The average length of the ingested particles was 468.1 +/- 113.8 lim, with a minimum of 15.6 and a maximum of 647.6 lim. All MPs >300 lim were fibers, with diameters <50 lim. Fragments were the most abundant MPs (54.2%), followed by fibers (34.2%) and spheres (11.4%). Statistical analyses showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the bays or seasons. Using RAMAN spectroscopy, it was possible to identify 6 different types of polymers, with poly (ethylene:propylene) being the most abundant (42.8%). This polymer is commonly used to manufacture plastic bags, ropes and fishing nets. The results confirm that certain zooplankton groups are consuming MPs and suggest that omnivorous species are more likely to ingest MPs, possibly due to their capacity for foraging flexibility and opportunistic feeding strategies. However, the ingestion of MPs cannot be attributed to a single factor; it is necessary to consider variables such as the sampling area, feeding strategy, size, and seasonality to understand the dynamics of MPs ingestion by zooplankton groups.

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