1. First evidence of presence of plastic debris in stomach of large pelagic fish in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Author
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Romeo, Teresa, Pietro, Battaglia, Pedà, Cristina, Consoli, Pierpaolo, Andaloro, Franco, and Fossi, Maria Cristina
- Subjects
PLASTIC scrap ,PELAGIC fishes ,POLLUTION ,ECOLOGICAL impact ,MARINE debris - Abstract
This study focuses, for the first time, on the presence of plastic debris in the stomach contents of large pelagic fish ( Xiphias gladius , Thunnus thynnus and Thunnus alalunga ) caught in the Mediterranean Sea between 2012 and 2013. Results highlighted the ingestion of plastics in the 18.2% of samples. The plastics ingested were microplastics (<5 mm), mesoplastics (5–25 mm) and macroplastics (>25 mm). These preliminary results represent an important initial phase in exploring two main ecotoxicological aspects: (a) the assessment of the presence and impact of plastic debris on these large pelagic fish, and (b) the potential effects related to the transfer of contaminants on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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