Microplastic Occurrence in the Gill and Gastrointestinal Tract of Chelon ramada (Mugilidae) in a Highly Urbanized Region, İskenderun Bay, Türkiye

Abstract

Microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems has become a significant, global concern which attracting the attention of academics and policy makers. This study provides information regarding the microplastic occurrence in the gill and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of Chelon ramada (Risso, 1827). A total of 158 MPs were extracted from the gill and GIT with a mean of 1.9±1.8 particle/individual in gill and 3.4±2.1 particle/individual in GIT. Fiber was the most commonly extracted microplastic type (79%), followed by fragments (16%), film (4%) and pellet (2%). Mean size of extracted MPs from the organs of Chelon ramada was found as 1251±1602 µm. Black, transparent, red and blue MPs were extracted from the organs and dominance of black and transparent MPs were observed in the gill and GIT, respectively. This study is providing the first data regarding the microplastic ingestion of Chelon ramada and the results obtained in this will help to understand the relationship between anthropogenic influences and microplastic ingestion.

Keywords

• Microplastic litter
• Microplastic ingestion
• Northeastern Mediterranean
• Pollution
• Thinlip grey mullet

References

1. Atamanalp, M., Köktürk, M., Parlak, V., Ucar, A., Arslan, G., & Alak, G. (2022). A new record for the presence of microplastics in dominant fish species of the Karasu River Erzurum, Turkey. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(5), 7866–7876. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16243-w
2. Bessa, F., Barría, P., Neto, J. M., Frias, J. P. G. L., Otero, V., Sobral, P., & Marques, J. C. (2018). Occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish from a natural estuarine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 128, 575–584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.044
3. Bessa, F., Frias, J., Kögel, T., Lusher, A., Andrade, J. M., Antunes, J., Sobral, P., Pagter, E., Nash, R., O’Connor, I., Pedrotti, M. L., Kerros, M. E., León, V., Tirelli, V., Suaria, G., Lopes, C., Raimundo, J., Caetano, M., Gago, J., et al. (2019). Harmonized protocol for monitoring microplastics in biota. JPI-Oceans BASEMAN project. 30pp. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28588.72321/1
4. Boerger, C. M., Lattin, G. L., Moore, S. L., & Moore, C. J. (2010). Plastic ingestion by planktivorous fishes in the North Pacific Central Gyre. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 60(12), 2275-2278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.08.007
5. Borges-Ramírez, M. M., Mendoza-Franco, E. F., Escalona-Segura, G., & Rendón-von Osten, J. (2020). Plastic density as a key factor in the presence of microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial fishes from Campeche Bay, Mexico. Environmental Pollution, 267, 115659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115659
6. Braun, T., Ehrlich, L., Henrich, W., Koeppel, S., Lomako, I., Schwabl, P., & Liebmann, B. (2021). Detection of microplastic in human placenta and meconium in a clinical setting. Pharmaceutics, 13(7), 921. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13070921
7. Bucci, K., Tulio, M., & Rochman, C. M. (2020). What is known and unknown about the effects of plastic pollution: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Ecological Applications, 30(2), e02044. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2044
8. Cheung, L. T., Lui, C. Y., & Fok, L. (2018). Microplastic contamination of wild and captive flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(4), 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040597

9. Eriksen, M., Lebreton, L. C., Carson, H. S., Thiel, M., Moore, C. J., Borerro, J. C. & Reisser, J. (2014). Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans: more than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PLOS ONE, 9(12), e111913. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111913
10. Ferreira, M., Thompson, J., Paris, A., Rohindra, D., Rico, C. (2020). Presence of microplastics in water, sediments and fish species in an urban coastal environment of Fiji, a Pacific small island developing state. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 153, 110991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110991
11. Froese, R., & Pauly, D. (Eds.). (2022). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, (20/06/2022)
12. Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Saldarriaga-Vélez, J. F., Espinosa-Díaz, L. F., Patiño, A. D., Cusba, J., Canals, M., Mejía-
13. Esquivia, K., Fragozo-Velásquez, L., Sáenz-Arias, S., Córdoba-Meza, T., & Thiel, M. (2022). Microplastic pollution in water, sediments and commercial fish species from Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta lagoon complex, Colombian Caribbean. Science of the Total Environment, 829(2), 154643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154643
14. GESAMP. (2019). Guidelines or the monitoring and assessment of plastic litter and microplastics in the ocean. In Kershaw, P. J., Turra, A., & Galgani, F. (Eds.), IMO/FAO/UNESCO-IOC/UNIDO/WMO/IAEA/UN/UNEP/UNDP/ISA Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection. 1020-4873 Rep. Stud. GESAMP No. 99, 130p.
15. Guilhermino, L., Martins, A., Lopes, C., Raimundo, J., Vieira, L.R., Barboza, L. G. A., Costa, J., Antunes, C., Caetano, M., & Vale, C. (2021). Microplastics in fishes from an estuary (Minho River) ending into the NE Atlantic Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 173, 113008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113008.
16. Güven, O., Gökdağ, K., Jovanović, B., & Kıdeyş, A. E. (2017). Microplastic litter composition of the Turkish territorial waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and its occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract of fish. Environmental Pollution, 223, 286–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.01.025
17. Halstead, J. E., Smith, J. A., Carter, E. A., Lay, P. A., & Johnston, E. L. (2018). Assessment tools for microplastics and natural fibres ingested by fish in an urbanised estuary. Environmental Pollution, 234, 552–561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.085
18. Hastuti, A. R., Lumbanbatu, D. T. F., & Wardiatno, Y. (2019). The presence of microplastics in the digestive tract of commercial fishes off pantai Indah Kapuk coast, Jakarta, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 20(5), 1233–1242. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d200513
19. Iñiguez, M.E., Conesa, J.A., Fullana, A. (2016). Marine debris occurrence and treatment: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 64, 394–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.06.031
20. Jabeen, K., Su, L., Li, J., Yang, D., Tong, C., Mu, J., Shi, H. (2017). Micro-plastics and mesoplastics in fish from coastal and fresh waters of China. Environmental Pollution, 221, 141–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.11.055
21. Jonathan, M. P., Sujitha, S. B., Rodriguez-Gonzalez, F., Campos Villegas, L. E., Hernández-Camacho, C. J., & Sarkar, S. K. (2021). Evidences of microplastics in diverse fish species off the Western Coast of Pacific Ocean, Mexico. Ocean and Coastal Management, 204, 105544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105544
22. Kılıç, E., & Yücel, N. (2022). Microplastic occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract and gill of bioindicator fish species in the northeastern Mediterranean, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 177, 113556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113556
23. Koongolla, J. B., Lin, L., Pan, Y. F., Yang, C. P., Sun, D. R., Liu, S., Xu, X. R., Maharana, D., Huang, J. S., & Li, H. X. (2020). Occurrence of microplastics in gastrointestinal tracts and gills of fish from Beibu Gulf, South China Sea. Environmental Pollution, 258, 113734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113734
24. Kottelat, M., & Freyhof, J. (2007). Handbook of European freshwater fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol and Freyhof, Berlin. 646 pp.
25. Lima, A. R. A., Barletta, M., & Costa, M. F. (2015). Seasonal distribution and interactions between plankton and microplastics in a tropical estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 165, 213-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2015.05.018
26. Ma, C., Chen, Q., Li, J., Li, B., Liang, W., Su, L., & Shi, H. (2021). Distribution and translocation of micro-and nanoplastics in fish. Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 51(9), 740-753. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2021.2024495
27. Markic, A., Niemand, C., Bridson, J. H., Mazouni-Gaertner, N., Gaertner, J., Eriksen, M., & Bowen, M. (2018). Double trouble in the South Pacific subtropical gyre: Increased plastic ingestion by fish in the oceanic accumulation zone. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 136, 547-564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.031
28. McGregor, S., & Strydom, N. A. (2020). Feeding ecology and microplastic ingestion in Chelon richardsonii (Mugilidae) associated with surf diatom Anaulus australis accumulations in a warm temperate South African surf zone. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 158, 111430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111430
29. McIlwraith, H. K., Kim, J., Helm, P., Bhavsar, S. P., Metzger, J. S., & Rochman, C. M. (2021). Evidence of microplastic translocation in wild-caught fish and implications for microplastic accumulation dynamics in food webs. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(18), 12372-12382. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c02922
30. Miloloža, M., Kučić Grgić, D., Bolanča, T., Ukić, Š., Cvetnić, M., Ocelić Bulatović, V., Dionysiou, D. D., & Kušić, H. (2021). Ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in freshwater sources—a review. Water, 13(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13010056
31. Mohamed Nor, N. H., Kooi, M., Diepens, N. J., & Koelmans, A. A. (2021). Lifetime accumulation of microplastic in children and adults. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(8), 5084-5096. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c07384
32. Naidoo, T., Smit, A. J., & Glassom, D. (2016). Plastic ingestion by estuarine mullet Mugil cephalus (Mugilidae) in an urban harbour, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science, 38(1), 145–149. https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2016.1159616
33. Napper, I. E., Davies, B. F., Clifford, H., Elvin, S., Koldewey, H. J., Mayewski, P. A., Miner, K. R., Potocki, M., Elmora, C. A., Gajurel, A. P., & Thompson, R. C. (2020). Reaching new heights in plastic pollution—preliminary findings of microplastics on Mount Everest. One Earth, 3(5), 621–630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.10.020.
34. Nel, H. A., William Hean, J., Siwe Noundou, X., & William Froneman, P. (2017). Do microplastic loads reflect the population demographics along the southern African coastline? Marine Pollution Bulletin, 115, 115–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. marpolbul.2016.11.056
35. Nematollahi, M. J., Keshavarzi, B., Moore, F., Esmaeili, H. R., Nasrollahzadeh Saravi, H., & Sorooshian, A. (2021). Microplastic fibers in the gut of highly consumed fish species from the southern Caspian Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 168, 112461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112461
36. Peng, X., Chen, M., Chen, S., Dasgupta, S., Xu, H., Ta, K., Du, M., Li, J., Guo, Z., Bai, S. (2018). Microplastics contaminate the deepest part of the world’s ocean. Geochemical Perspectives Letters, 9, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.1829
37. Preston-Whyte, F., Silburn, B., Meakins, B., Bakir, A., Pillay, K., Worship, M., Paruk, S., Mdazuka, Y., Mooi, G., Harmer, R., Doran, D., Tooley, F., & Maes, T. (2021). Meso- and microplastics monitoring in harbour environments: a case study for the Port of Durban, South Africa. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 163, 111948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. marpolbul.2020.111948
38. Reboa, A., Cutroneo, L., Consani, S., Geneselli, I., Petrillo, M., Besio, G., & Capello, M. (2022). Mugilidae fish as bioindicator for monitoring plastic pollution: Comparison between a commercial port and a fishpond (north-western Mediterranean Sea). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 177, 113531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113531
39. Renzi, M., Specchiulli, A., Blašković, A., Manzo, C., Mancinelli, G., & Cilenti, L. (2019). Marine litter in stomach content of small pelagic fishes from the Adriatic Sea: Sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26(3), 2771–2781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3762-8
40. Rummel, C. D., Loder, M. G. J., Fricke, N. F., Lang, T., Griebeler, E., Janke, M., & Gerdts, G. (2016). Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 102, 134-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.043
41. Saha, M., Naik, A., Desai, A., Nanajkar, M., Rathore, C., Kumar, M., & Gupta, P. (2021). Microplastics in seafood as an emerging threat to marine environment: a case study in Goa, west coast of India. Chemosphere, 270, 129359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chemosphere.2020.129359
42. Sayed, A. E. D. H., Hamed, M., Badrey, A. E., Ismail, R. F., Osman, Y. A., Osman, A. G., & Soliman, H. A. (2021). Microplastic distribution, abundance, and composition in the sediments, water, and fishes of the Red and Mediterranean seas, Egypt. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 173, 112966. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112966
43. Setälä, O., Fleming-Lehtinen, V., & Lehtiniemi, M. (2014). Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web. Environmental Pollution, 185, 77-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.013
44. Shim, W. J., Hong, S. H., & Eo, S. (2018). Marine microplastics: abundance, distribution, and composition. In Zeng, E. (Ed.), Microplastic contamination in aquatic environments (pp. 1-26). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2016-0-04784-8
45. Smith, M., Love, D. C., Rochman, C. M., & Neff, R. A. (2018). Microplastics in seafood and the implications for human health. Current Environmental Health Reports, 5(3), 375-386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-018-0206-z
46. Suaria, G., Avio, C. G., Mineo, A., Lattin, G. L., Magaldi, M. G., Belmonte, G., Moore, C. J., Regoli, F., & Aliani, S. (2016). The Mediterranean plastic soup: Synthetic polymers in Mediterranean surface waters. Scientific Reports, 6, 37551. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep37551
47. Teuten, E. L., Saquing, J. M., Knappe, D. R. U., Barlaz, M. A., Jonsson, S., Bjorn, A., Rowland, S. J., Thompson, R. C., Galloway, T. S., & Yamashita, R. (2009). Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 364(1526), 2027-2045. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0284
48. Torre, M., Digka, N., Anastasopoulou, A., Tsangaris, C., & Mytilineou, C. (2016). Anthropogenic microfibres pollution in marine biota. a new and simple methodology to minimize airborne contamination. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 113(1–2), 55–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.07.050
49. Walkinshaw, C., Lindeque, P. K., Thompson, R., Tolhurst, T., & Cole, M. (2020). Microplastics and seafood: lower trophic organisms at highest risk of contamination. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 190, 110066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.110066
50. Wang, S., Zhang, C., Pan, Z., Sun, D., Zhou, A., Xie, S., Wang, J., & Zou, J. (2020). Microplastics in wild freshwater fish of different feeding habits from Beijiang and Pearl River Delta regions, south China. Chemosphere, 258, 127345. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127345
51. Whitfield, A. K., Panfili, J., & Durand, J. D. (2012). 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. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 22, 641–681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-012-9263-9
52. Wootton, N., Reis-Santos, P., Dowsett, N., Turnbull, A., & Gillanders, B. M. (2021). Low abundance of microplastics in commercially caught fish across southern Australia. Environmental Pollution, 290, 118030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118030
53. Worm, B., Lotze, H.K., Jubinville, I., Wilcox, C., Jambeck, J. (2017). Plastic as a persistent marine pollutant. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 42, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102016-060700
54. Zhang, C., Wang, S., Pan, Z., Sun, D., Xie, S., Zhou, A., Wang, J., & Zou, J. (2020). Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in commercial fishes from estuarine areas of Guangdong, South China. Chemosphere, 260, 127656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127656
55. Zhang, N., Li, Y. B., He, H. R., Zhang, J. F., & Ma, G. S. (2021a). You are what you eat: Microplastics in the feces of young men living in Beijing. Science of The Total Environment, 767, 144345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144345
56. Zhang, J., Wang, L., Trasande, L., & Kannan, K. (2021b). Occurrence of polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate microplastics in infant and adult feces. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 8(11), 989-994. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00559