Detection of anthropogenic fibres in marine organisms: Knowledge gaps and methodological issues

Most studies examining the occurrence of plastics and microplastics in marine organisms have identified anthropogenic fibres, of natural and synthetic origin, as the most commonly occurring category. Anthropogenic fibres may have been chemically treated with additives making them more persistent and a potential threat to marine organisms. However, fibres have often been excluded from analytical data for the difficulties related to the sampling and analytical procedures, including potential overestimation of the results due to airborne contamination. This review aimed to collect and analyse all studies focusing on the interaction between anthropogenic fibres and marine organisms worldwide, highlighting critical issues that need to be overcome for the analysis fibres on marine organisms. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on the species studied in the Mediterranean Sea, which is particularly affected by this type of pollution. Overall, this review shows that fibre pollution is an underestimated threat to marine organisms and that a specific, harmonised protocol for the analysis of different anthropogenic fibres needs to be developed.

Automated summary

Most studies have found that anthropogenic fibres are the most common type of plastics and microplastics in marine organisms, which could pose a potential threat due to their persistence and chemical additives. However, the difficulties in sampling and analysis, as well as the potential overestimation of results due to airborne contamination, have often excluded fibres from analytical data. This review emphasizes the need for a specific and harmonized protocol to analyze different anthropogenic fibres, highlighting the underestimated threat they pose to marine organisms.