| Abstract | Microplastic particles (MPs) contamination of aquatic environments has raised a growing concern in recent decades because of their numerous potential toxicological effects. Although fish are among the most studied aquatic organisms, reports on MPs ingestion in freshwater environments are still scarce. Thus, there is still much to study to understand the uptake mechanisms, their potential accumulation among the food webs and their ecotoxicological effects. Here, MPs presence in the digestive system of one of the most widespread and commercially exploited freshwater fish, the perch (Perca fluviatilis, Linnaeus 1758), was investigated in four different south-alpine lakes, to assess the extent of ingestion and evaluate its relation to the body health condition. A total of 80 perch specimen have been sampled from the Italian lakes Como, Garda, Maggiore and Orta. Microplastic particles occurred in 86% of the analysed specimens, with average values ranging from 1.24?1.04?MPs fish-1 in L. Como to 5.59?2.61?MPs fish-1 in L. Garda. The isolated particles were mainly fragments, except in L. Como where films were more abundant. The most common polymers were polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and polycarbonate, although a high degree of degradation was found in 43% of synthetic particles, not allowing their recognition up to a single polymer. Despite the high number of ingested MPs, fish health (evaluated by means of Fulton's body condition and hepatosomatic index) was not affected. Instead, fullness index showed an inverse linear relationship with the number of ingested particles, which suggests that also in perch MPs presence could interfere with feeding activity, as already described for other taxa. |
| Text | 455344 2021 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117782 Emerging contaminants Plastic polymers Microplastic ingestion Freshwater fish Plastic litter Uptake Exposure Microplastic pollution in perch Perca fluviatilis, Linnaeus 1758 from Italian south alpine lakes Silvia Galafassi and Maria Sighicelli and Antonio Pusceddu and Roberta Bettinetti and Alessandro Cau and Maria Eleonora Temperini and Raymond Gillibert and Michele Ortolani and Loris Pietrelli and Silvia Zaupa and Pietro Volta a CNR Water Research Institute, L.go Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Pallanza, Italy b ENEA, Department for Sustainability SSPT , C.R. Casaccia Via Anguillarese 301, 00123, Rome, Italy c University of Cagliari, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Via T. Fiorelli 1, 09126, Cagliari, Italy d University of Insubria, Department of Human and Innovation for the Territory, Via Valleggio 11, 22100, Como, Italy e Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Physics, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy f Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Chemistry, P.le A. Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy Microplastic particles MPs contamination of aquatic environments has raised a growing concern in recent decades because of their numerous potential toxicological effects. Although fish are among the most studied aquatic organisms, reports on MPs ingestion in freshwater environments are still scarce. Thus, there is still much to study to understand the uptake mechanisms, their potential accumulation among the food webs and their ecotoxicological effects. Here, MPs presence in the digestive system of one of the most widespread and commercially exploited freshwater fish, the perch Perca fluviatilis, Linnaeus 1758 , was investigated in four different south alpine lakes, to assess the extent of ingestion and evaluate its relation to the body health condition. A total of 80 perch specimen have been sampled from the Italian lakes Como, Garda, Maggiore and Orta. Microplastic particles occurred in 86% of the analysed specimens, with average values ranging from 1.24 1.04 MPs fish 1 in L. Como to 5.59 2.61 MPs fish 1 in L. Garda. The isolated particles were mainly fragments, except in L. Como where films were more abundant. The most common polymers were polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and polycarbonate, although a high degree of degradation was found in 43% of synthetic particles, not allowing their recognition up to a single polymer. Despite the high number of ingested MPs, fish health evaluated by means of Fulton s body condition and hepatosomatic index was not affected. Instead, fullness index showed an inverse linear relationship with the number of ingested particles, which suggests that also in perch MPs presence could interfere with feeding activity, as already described for other taxa. 288 Published version https //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749121013646 Microplastic pollution in perch Perca fluviatilis, Linnaeus 1758 from Italian south alpine lakes Microplastiche e pesci.pdf Articolo in rivista Elsevier Applied Science Publishers 0269 7491 Environmental pollution 1987 Environmental pollution 1987 Environ. pollut. 1987 Environmental pollution 1987 ZAUPA SILVIA pietro.volta VOLTA PIETRO silvia.galafassi GALAFASSI SILVIA |
