Low microplastic loads in riverine European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from southwest England during their marine-freshwater transition

The microplastic loads in elvers of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla, sampled in the lower reaches of three English rivers, were very low (incidence: 3.3%, mean +/- s.d.: 0.03 +/- 0.18 particles) and did not vary with body length or between rivers. Particles were mostly black, polyolefins, fibres and fragments of size 101-200 mu m. Current levels indicate a low contamination pressure locally and, consequently, management efforts might prioritise mitigating the effects of other stressors affecting the species.

Automated summary

The microplastic loads in elvers of the critically endangered European eel sampled in three English rivers were very low and did not vary with body length or between rivers. The particles were mostly black, polyolefins, fibres, and fragments of size 101-200 μm. This suggests that local contamination pressure is low and management efforts should focus on mitigating other stressors affecting the species.