A research group at the Graduate School of Hokkaido University (Takaaki Hasegawa et al.) and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (Prof. Hideshige Takada et al.) found that through ingestion of microplastics, fish incorporate additives contained in plastic products into body tissues such as muscles and liver. It was the first time in the world to demonstrate that
Marine plastic litter, especially finely divided microplastics (particle size less than 5 mm), have adverse physical and physiological effects when ingested by marine animals.In addition, plastic products contain various chemical substances (additives such as brominated flame retardants and ultraviolet absorbers) at high concentrations.It was thought that fishes take in microplastics from two routes, one in seawater and the other in prey, and the additives move and accumulate in their body tissues.
Therefore, the research group used the carnivorous fish Sculpin deer and its prey, the small crustacean Myrthidae, to verify the relative importance of both pathways in the transfer of additives to tissues by ingestion of microplastics in fish. .
As a result, it was demonstrated that the additives contained in the microplastics accumulated in the tissues of the sculpin through two pathways: water and food.Brominated flame retardants were detected in much higher concentrations in the muscle tissue of individuals fed microplastic-containing mites than in individuals exposed to microplastics in seawater and individuals immediately after collection from the field.On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the concentrations of UV absorbers between the fed and water-exposed individuals.We believe that differences in chemical properties such as the hydrophobicity of additives are involved.
Additives that accumulate in the body tissue of fish through microplastics may accumulate in the bodies of higher-level consumers, including humans, through the food chain and adversely affect them.Further clarification is expected through future research progress.
