Microplastic Contamination of Wild and Captive Flathead Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus)
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Sample Collection
2.2. Experiment Process and Procedure
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Abundance of Plastic in Mullet
3.2. Types, Colours and Sizes of Plastic Items in Mullet
3.3. Identification and Validation of Plastic Items
3.4. Abundance of Microplastics and Physical Characteristics of Mullet
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Jambeck, J.R.; Geyer, R.; Wilcox, C.; Siegler, T.R.; Perryman, M.; Andrady, A.; Narayan, R.; Law, K.L. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 2015, 347, 768–771. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Gregory, M.R.; Ryan, P.G. Pelagic plastics and other seaborne persistent synthetic debris: A review of Southern Hemisphere perspectives. In Marine Debris; Springer: Berlin, Germany, 1997; pp. 49–66. [Google Scholar]
- Barnes, D.K.A.; Galgani, F.; Thompson, R.C.; Barlaz, M. Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 2009, 364, 1985–1998. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Zarfl, C.; Matthies, M. Are marine plastic particles transport vectors for organic pollutants to the Arctic? Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2010, 60, 1810–1814. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Cheung, P.K.; Fok, L.; Hung, P.L.; Cheung, L.T.O. Spatio-temporal comparison of neustonic microplastic density in Hong Kong waters under the influence of the Pearl River Estuary. Sci. Total Environ. 2018, 628–629, 731–739. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Barnes, D.K.A.; Milner, P. Drifting plastic and its consequences for sessile organism dispersal in the Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Biol. 2005, 146, 815–825. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Taylor, M.L.; Gwinnett, C.; Robinson, L.F.; Woodall, L.C. Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms. Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 33997. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Galgani, F.; Leaute, J.P.; Moguedet, P.; Souplet, A.; Verin, Y.; Carpentier, A.; Goraguer, H.; Latrouite, D.; Andral, B.; Cadiou, Y. Litter on the sea floor along European coasts. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2000, 40, 516–527. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Derraik, J.G.B. The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: A review. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2002, 44, 842–852. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Browne, M.A.; Galloway, T.; Thompson, R. Microplastic—An emerging contaminant of potential concern? Integr. Environ. Assess. Manag. 2007, 3, 559–561. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Gregory, M.R. Environmental implications of plastic debris in marine settings—Entanglement, ingestion, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien invasions. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 2009, 364, 2013–2025. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Li, W.C.; Tse, H.F.; Fok, L. Plastic waste in the marine environment: A review of sources, occurrence and effects. Sci. Total Environ. 2016, 566–567, 333–349. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kershaw, P.J. Sources, fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment: A global assessment. In Rep. Stud. GESAMP; IMO: London, UK, 2015; p. 96. [Google Scholar]
- Arthur, C.; Baker, J.; Bamford, H.; Barnea, N.; Lohmann, R.; McElwee, K.; Morishige, C.; Thompson, R. Summary of the international research workshop on the occurrence, effects, and fate of microplastic marine debris. In the International Research Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris; Arthur, C., Baker, J., Bamford, H., Eds.; NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): Silver Spring, MD, USA, 2009; pp. 7–17. [Google Scholar]
- Fendall, L.S.; Sewell, M.A. Contributing to marine pollution by washing your face: Microplastics in facial cleansers. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2009, 58, 1225–1228. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Cheung, P.K.; Fok, L. Evidence of microbeads from personal care product contaminating the sea. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2016, 109, 582–585. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Browne, M.A.; Crump, P.; Niven, S.J.; Teuten, E.; Tonkin, A.; Galloway, T.; Thompson, R. Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45, 9175–9179. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Tsang, Y.Y.; Mak, C.W.; Liebich, C.; Lam, S.W.; Sze, E.T.; Chan, K.M. Microplastic pollution in the marine waters and sediments of Hong Kong. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2017, 115, 20–28. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lusher, A.L.; McHugh, M.; Thompson, R.C. Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of pelagic and demersal fish from the English Channel. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2013, 67, 94–99. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Jeong, C.-B.; Kang, H.-M.; Lee, M.-C.; Kim, D.-H.; Han, J.; Hwang, D.-S.; Souissi, S.; Lee, S.-J.; Shin, K.-H.; Park, H.G.; et al. Adverse effects of microplastics and oxidative stress-induced MAPK/Nrf2 pathway-mediated defense mechanisms in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana. Sci. Rep. 2017, 7, 41323. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Cole, M.; Lindeque, P.; Fileman, E.; Halsband, C.; Galloway, T.S. The impact of polystyrene microplastics on feeding, function and fecundity in the marine copepod Calanus helgolandicus. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 1130–1137. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ramos, J.A.A.; Barletta, M.; Costa, M.F. Ingestion of nylon threads by Gerreidae while using a tropical estuary as foraging grounds. Aquat. Biol. 2012, 17, 29–34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rochman, C.M.; Hoh, E.; Kurobe, T.; The, S.J. Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress. Sci. Rep. 2013, 3, 3263. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Boerger, C.M.; Lattin, G.L.; Moore, S.L.; Moore, C.J. Plastic ingestion by planktivorous fishes in the North Pacific Central Gyre. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2010, 60, 2275–2278. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Lönnstedt, O.M.; Eklöv, P. Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic particles influence larval fish ecology. Science 2016, 352, 1213–1216. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Teuten, E.L.; Rowland, S.J.; Galloway, T.S.; Thompson, R.C. Potential for Plastics to Transport Hydrophobic Contaminants. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 41, 7759–7764. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Neves, D.; Sobral, P.; Ferreira, J.L.; Pereira, T. Ingestion of microplastics by commercial fish off the Portuguese coast. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2015, 101, 119–126. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Tanaka, K.; Takada, H. Microplastic fragments and microbeads in digestive tracts of planktivorous fish from urban coastal waters. Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 34351. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Reisser, J.; Shaw, J.; Wilcox, C.; Hardesty, B.D.; Proietti, M.; Thums, M.; Pattiaratchi, C. Marine plastic pollution in waters around Australia: Characteristics, concentrations, and pathways. PLoS ONE 2013, 8, e80466. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Jabeen, K.; Su, L.; Li, J.; Yang, D.; Tong, C.; Mu, J.; Shi, H. Microplastics and mesoplastics in fish from coastal and fresh waters of China. Environ. Pollut. 2017, 221, 141–149. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wieczorek, A.M.; Morrison, L.; Croot, P.L.; Allcock, A.L.; MacLoughlin, E.; Savard, O.; Brownlow, H.; Doyle, T.K. Frequency of Microplastics in Mesopelagic Fishes from the Northwest Atlantic. Front. Mar. Sci. 2018, 5. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Romeo, T.; Pietro, B.; Pedà, C.; Consoli, P.; Andaloro, F.; Fossi, M.C. First evidence of presence of plastic debris in stomach of large pelagic fish in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2015, 95, 358–361. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Avio, C.G.; Gorbi, S.; Regoli, F. Experimental development of a new protocol for extraction and characterization of microplastics in fish tissues: First observations in commercial species from Adriatic Sea. Mar. Environ. Res. 2015, 111, 18–26. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Battaglia, P.; Pedà, C.; Musolino, S.; Esposito, V.; Andaloro, F.; Romeo, T. Diet and first documented data on plastic ingestion of Trachinotus ovatus L. 1758 (Pisces: Carangidae) from the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea). Italian J. Zool. 2016, 83, 121–129. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fok, L.; Cheung, P.K. Hong Kong at the Pearl River Estuary: A hotspot of microplastic pollution. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2015, 99, 112–118. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Whitfield, A.K.; Panfili, J.; Durand, J.D. A global review of the cosmopolitan flathead mullet Mugil cephalus Linnaeus 1758 (Teleostei: Mugilidae), with emphasis on the biology, genetics, ecology and fisheries aspects of this apparent species complex. Rev. Fish Biol. Fish. 2012, 22, 641–681. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mondal, A.; Chakravortty, D.; Mandal, S.; Bhattacharyya, S.B.; Mitra, A. Feeding Ecology and Prey Preference of Grey Mullet, Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Extensive Brackish Water Farming System. J. Mar. Sci. Res. Dev. 2015, 6, 2. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Naidoo, T.; Smit, A.J.; Glassom, D. Plastic ingestion by estuarine mullet Mugil cephalus (Mugilidae) in an urban harbour, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 2016, 38, 145–149. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Farrell, P.; Nelson, K. Trophic level transfer of microplastic: Mytilus edulis (L.) to Carcinus maenas (L.). Environ. Pollut. 2013, 177, 1–3. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ng, S.L.; Zhang, Y.; Ng, K.H.; Wong, H.; Lee, J.W.Y. Living environment and quality of life in Hong Kong. Asian Geogr. 2017, 1–17. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Li, J.; Qu, X.; Su, L.; Zhang, W.; Yang, D.; Kolandhasamy, P.; Li, D.; Shi, H. Microplastics in mussels along the coastal waters of China. Environ. Pollut. 2016, 214, 177–184. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Romeo, T.; Peda, C.; Fossi, M.C.; Andaloro, F.; Battaglia, P. First record of plastic debris in the stomach of Mediterranean lanternfishes. Acta Adriat. 2016, 57, 115–122. [Google Scholar]
- Yang, D.; Shi, H.; Li, L.; Li, J.; Jabeen, K.; Kolandhasamy, P. Microplastic pollution in table salts from China. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 13622–13627. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Nadal, M.A.; Alomar, C.; Deudero, S. High levels of microplastic ingestion by the semipelagic fish bogue Boops boops (L.) around the Balearic Islands. Environ. Pollut. 2016, 214, 517–523. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Naidoo, T.; Glassom, D.; Smit, A.J. Plastic pollution in five urban estuaries of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2015, 101, 473–480. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Woodall, L.C.; Sanchez-Vidal, A.; Canals, M.; Paterson, G.L.J.; Coppock, R.; Sleight, V.; Calafat, A.; Rogers, A.D.; Narayanaswamy, B.E.; Thompson, R.C. The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris. R. Soc. Open Sci. 2014, 1, 140317. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ryan, P.G.; Moore, C.J.; van Franeker, J.A.; Moloney, C.L. Monitoring the abundance of plastic debris in the marine environment. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 2009, 364, 1999–2012. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Butterworth, A.; Clegg, I.; Bass, C. Untangled Marine Debris: A Global Picture of the Impact on Animal Welfare and of Animal-Focused Solutions; World Society for the Protection of Animals: London, UK, 2012; p. 75. [Google Scholar]
- Bellas, J.; Martínez-Armental, J.; Martínez-Cámara, A.; Besada, V.; Martínez-Gómez, C. Ingestion of microplastics by demersal fish from the Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2016, 109, 55–60. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Hollman, P.C.H.; Bouwmeester, H.; Peters, R.J.B. Microplastics in Aquatic Food Chain: Sources, Measurement, Occurrence and Potential Health Risks; Rikilt-Institute of Food Safety: Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2013. [Google Scholar]
Group | Wild | Captive | Total | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Statistics | M | Mdn | SD | IQR | M | Mdn | SD | IQR | M | Mdn | SD | IQR |
Number of plastic items | 4.30 | 1.00 | 14.5 | 2.25 | 0.20 | 0.00 | 0.48 | 0.00 | 2.25 | 0.00 | 10.4 | 1.00 |
Size of plastic items (mm) | 1.21 | 0.975 | 0.833 | 1.08 | 1.05 | 1.10 | 0.51 | 0.875 | 1.18 | 1.00 | 0.767 | 1.05 |
Fish length (mm) | 433 | 431 | 19.2 | 25.0 | 397 | 400 | 10.4 | 15.8 | 415 | 409 | 23.7 | 32.5 |
Fish weight (g) | 765 | 766 | 104 | 104 | 716 | 719 | 44.8 | 65.4 | 741 | 739 | 82.9 | 91.7 |
Tissue Weight (g) | 39.4 | 37.7 | 9.60 | 15.2 | 21.4 | 20.7 | 3.87 | 4.28 | 30.4 | 26.4 | 11.6 | 17.3 |
Identification Category | Variable | Wild Mullet | Captive Mullet |
---|---|---|---|
Types of plastic | Fibre | 77 (60%) | 6 (100%) |
Fragment | 44 (34%) | 0 | |
Sheet | 8 (6%) | 0 | |
Colours of plastic | Green | 56 (43%) | 0 |
Blue | 21 (16%) | 2 (33%) | |
Black | 19 (15%) | 1 (17%) | |
Red | 10 (8%) | 1 (17%) | |
Colourless | 10 (8%) | 0 | |
White | 10 (8%) | 0 | |
Purple | 2 (2%) | 2 (33%) | |
Orange | 1 (<1%) | 0 | |
Sizes of plastic | Small microplastic (<2 mm) | 116 (90%) | 5 (83%) |
Large microplastic (2–5 mm) | 8 (6%) | 1 (17%) | |
Mesoplastic (>5 mm) | 5 (4%) | 0 | |
Polymer identification of plastic | Polypropylene | 33 (42%) | |
Polyethylene | 20 (25%) | ||
Polyester | 13 (16%) | ||
Polyethylene terephthalate | 5 (6%) | ||
Nylon | 3 (4%) | ||
Polytetrafluoroethylene | 2 (3%) | ||
Others | 3 (4%) |
Variables | Abundance of Microplastics | Physical Characteristics of Mullet | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Items | Average Size of Items | Body Weight | Fork Length | Intestine and Stomach Weight | ||
Wild Mullets | ||||||
Abundance of microplastics | Number of items | 1 | ||||
Average size of items | 0.873 ** | 1 | ||||
Physical characteristics of mullet | Body weight | −0.191 | −0.123 | 1 | ||
Fork length | 0.147 | 0.143 | 0.756 ** | 1 | ||
Intestine and stomach weight | 0.415 * | 0.442 * | 0.365 * | 0.648 ** | 1 | |
Captive Mullets | ||||||
Abundance of microplastics | Number of items | 1 | ||||
Average size of items | 0.995 ** | 1 | ||||
Physical characteristics of mullet | Body weight | 0.010 | 0.041 | 1 | ||
Fork length | −0.315 | −0.283 | 0.751 ** | 1 | ||
Intestine and stomach weight | −0.014 | 0.001 | 0.288 | 0.287 | 1 | |
Total Mullets | ||||||
Abundance of microplastics | Number of items | 1 | ||||
Average size of items | 0.962 ** | 1 | ||||
Physical characteristics of mullet | Body weight | −0.003 | 0.042 | 1 | ||
Fork length | 0.362 ** | 0.332 ** | 0.663 ** | 1 | ||
Intestine and stomach weight | 0.503 ** | 0.475 ** | 0.430 ** | 0.837 ** | 1 |
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Cheung, L.T.O.; Lui, C.Y.; Fok, L. Microplastic Contamination of Wild and Captive Flathead Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040597
Cheung LTO, Lui CY, Fok L. Microplastic Contamination of Wild and Captive Flathead Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15(4):597. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040597
Chicago/Turabian StyleCheung, Lewis T. O., Ching Yee Lui, and Lincoln Fok. 2018. "Microplastic Contamination of Wild and Captive Flathead Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus)" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 4: 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040597