Microplastic contamination in the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum in Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brazil

The present study analyzed the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum, which is an economically important food that is consumed in several regions of the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 600 specimens of M. amazonicum were captured at two sampling sites (urban and rural area). A total of 2597 MP particles were recorded in the shrimps, with a significant difference between the two sites. The presence of MPs in the body parts also differed significantly. No significant difference was found between MPs abundance and sex of the shrimps. The size of the MPs did not differ significantly between the collection sites and between the body parts. Dark blue fiber-type MPs were the most abundant. A positive correlation was observed between the abundance of MPs and the total weight of shrimps. Raman spectroscopy identified the dark blue fibers as polypropylene and the FTIR technique identified the light blue fragments as nylon. The results indicate that the presence of MPs in the M. amazonicum shrimp is associated with the capture sites near the urban area and is present in the diet of the Amazonian population that regularly consumes this crustacean in traditional dishes.

Automated summary

This study investigated the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the Macrobrachium amazonicum shrimp, an important food source consumed in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 600 shrimp specimens were collected from urban and rural areas, revealing 2597 MP particles, with significant differences between the sampling sites. There were also significant differences in the distribution of MPs among different body parts. The most abundant MPs were dark blue fiber-type particles. Raman spectroscopy identified these fibers as polypropylene, while FTIR analysis identified light blue fragments as nylon. The presence of MPs in the M. amazonicum shrimp highlights their potential impact on the local population's diet and raises concerns about environmental contamination.