Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption

The ubiquity of anthropogenic debris in hundreds of species of wildlife and the toxicity of chemicals associated with it has begun to raise concerns regarding the presence of anthropogenic debris in seafood. We assessed the presence of anthropogenic debris in fishes and shellfish on sale for human consumption. We sampled from markets in Makassar, Indonesia, and from California, USA. All fish and shellfish were identified to species where possible. Anthropogenic debris was extracted from the digestive tracts of fish and whole shellfish using a 10% KOH solution and quantified under a dissecting microscope. In Indonesia, anthropogenic debris was found in 28% of individual fish and in 55% of all species.…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• UH
  Universitas Hasanuddin
• NO
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• UO
  University of California, Davis

  Award: ES04699
• NI
  National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

  Awards: P42 ES04699, ES04699