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ABSTRACT

Plastic production and its usage are increased exponentially and will continue to do so due to its durability and utility. Thousand tons of plastics are disposed prejudicially into the water bodies across the world every year due to lack of inadequate disposal and management system. In aquatic ecosystems, micro plastic pollution poses multiple serious threats to biodiversity. Micro plastic contamination is of emerging concern as these are hazardous to aquatic life, since they are the potential source of toxins and have direct impact on fish physiology. Micro plastic contamination of fish is also likely to pose serious threat to human life upon ingestion.

Keywords: Pollution, plastic, ocean pollution, plastic pollution 

Plastic waste is widespread on land and in water across the world and it is becoming more prevalent with time. Annual plastic production has risen drastically from 1.5 million tons in the 1950s to >335million tons, in 2016 (Plastics Europe, 2018). Plastic usage is increasing as both the developed and emerging countries follow a use-and-dispose lifestyle. However, this high production along with their longevity, unsustainable use and ineffective waste disposal has led to the introduction and widespread accumulation of plastic litter in natural environments (Barnes et al., 2009). Micro plastics are small plastic items with particle size <5 mm, that are a result of direct release of micro or nano particles into the water, and gradual degradation & breakdown of larger plastic particles.

Sources of Microplastics

Primary Sources of Microplastics:

These micro plastics (MP) result in the environment from their direct release into the water as micro or nano particles used in textiles, medicines, toothpaste and a host of other personal care items such as face wash and scrubs (Cole et al., 2011).

 Secondary Sources of Microplastics:

These micro plastics result from gradual degradation and breakdown of large plastic materials. The textile, tire dust and larger plastics are potential source of secondary micro plastics like microfiber, formed as a result of degradation and fragmentation due to weathering process (wave action, wind-blasting etc.)

 Bioavailability of Microplastics

The bioavailability of MPs increases with their decreasing size, making them easily available for lower trophic level organisms (Wright et al., 2013). Their tiny size and low density help them long-range transport with global distribution and for this reason, micro plastics persist in the environment for a prolonged time in water and other medium, with at least a part of them being available to a variety of organisms or species level, including fishes, which form the human diet.

 Incidence of Micro plastic in Fish

Micro plastics are found everywhere in marine environment and can virtually contaminate all the marine species. They exist in the marine environment as scrubber, fragment, pellet or fibers that are composed of various polymers. Marine organisms consume micro plastics from water due to their small size and the ingestion may be directly from water or indirectly via food web. Ingestion of micro plastics by zooplankton and plank tonic fish larvae at the bottom of the food chain (Cole et al, 2013; Steer et al., 2017), small and large invertebrates such as lobster, crabs, mussel (Murray & Cowie, 2011; Farrel & Nelson, 2013), and fish (Lusher et al., 2017) have been reported. Micro plastics can transport to organisms at higher trophic level through food web (Mattsson et al., 2015). They’re are found in gastrointestinal tract of fish (Rochman et al., 2015; Neves et al., 2015) and body tissue of invertebrates (Van Cauwenberghe and Janssen, 2014). Rochman et al., (2015) reported that, out of 76 specimens (11 species) obtained from a fish market in Indonesia, 28% species contained plastic debris in their GI tract. Another study carried out by Neves et al., (2015) found that, out of 263 specimens (26 species) caught off the Portugal coast, 20 % had possessed micro plastics in their GI tract and 67% had at least one plastic particle. Rumen et al., 2016 also reported micro plastics from GI tracts of 5 commercial fish species.

 Concern for Human Health and Nutrition

The contaminations of aquatic environments by micro plastics (MP) have drawn the attention of researchers and scientists across the globe, focusing mainly on its implications to food security and human health. When the plastics get into the ocean, the degradation rate and persistence of plastics vary by polymer, shape, density etc. The rate of degradation in the water depends on various factors like polymer type, age and prevailing environmental conditions such as temperature, pH and weathering. Over time, these particles end up contaminating the marine ecosystem and food stuff intended for human consumption. Since the degradation process of these plastics is very slow, it may potentially persist in the environment for a longer duration. Micro plastics exist in the environment in variety of shapes and sizes due to their diversity in origin and these features determine their distribution and potential impact they can cause to the organism. The micro plastic contamination of marine environment is of serious concern, as various marine organisms like fish, shellfish, sea birds etc. ingest these microscopic particles. Consumption of fish polluted with MPs may pose a risk to human health, particularly in areas where fish consumption is high or in areas where significant numbers of this small debris have been identified (Barboza et al., 2018).

The plastics are made up of monomers jointed together to make a polymer and while doing so different additives and chemicals are used to give specific desired properties. Based on the desired properties of the final products, the polymers are mixed with additives such as plasticizers, flame retardants, pigments, anti-microbial agents, heat and UV stabilizers, colorants etc. The additives most commonly in use in fabrication processes are phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), nonylphenol and flame retardants etc. According to a report, additives including nonylphenol and BPA can leach from ingested plastic in the marine environment (Maryani et al., 2020). The ingestion of micro plastics and subsequent accumulation of BPA is central to the perceived hazard and risk of micro plastics contamination in aquatic ecosystem. BPA disrupts the endocrine system (Vandenberg et al.,2012) and contributes to obesity by influencing the activity of lipoprotein lipase, aromatase, lipogenesis generators and the amount of fat tissue hormones (Saal et al.,2012) which are essential for maintaining body weight and function of cardiovascular system (Melzer et el.,2010). It has the potential to cause breast and prostate cancer in animals, as well as in humans. Micro plastics can absorb persistent toxic and bio-accumulative compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), organochlorine pesticides like dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) and Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from sea water, which may be transferred to the other. The combined effect of micro and nano plastics can have some negative impacts on human health because of their intrinsic toxicity and surface area (Maryani et al., 2020). Micro plastics with certain properties can trans locate across living cells, such as human intestinal follicle associated epithelium, macrophages of human lymphoid tissue and accumulate in small intestine (Lomer et al., 2002; des Rieux et al., 2005, Hodges et al.,1995). Because of the size and hydrophobicity of MPs, they can move through the placenta and blood-brain barrier, as well as through the gastrointestinal tract and lungs, where they could cause damage (Seltenrich, 2015).

Conclusion

Micro plastic contamination of water will continue to rise in the days to come, which may result in increase in micro and nano plastic particles in water. Currently there is a substantial knowledge gap between its occurrence in the aquatic system and its impact on the ecosystem and individual level. Adequate research should be carried out to bridge the gap between occurrence and impact caused by micro plastics. Simultaneously, concrete disposal and management guidelines for plastics should be developed and implemented or else biodegradable plastics use should be promoted.

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MICROPLASTICS IN FISH AN EMERGING CONCERNFOR HUMAN HEALTHAND NUTRITION_compressed.pdf