Study in Goa flags alarming levels of microplastics in seafood

The levels of microplastics foundin fish and other seafood samples from the Sal Estuary in Goais worrisome, a study by researchers of the National Instituteof Oceanography (NIO) here has said.

The study, led by senior scientist Dr Mahua Saha,indicated presence of microplastics in water, sediment andbiota (local animal and plant life) from the estuary.

A paper based on the study, result of two-year-longresearch by scientists from CSIR-NIO, was published in theprominent scientific journal ''Chemosphere''.

During the study titled ''Microplastics in seafood asan emerging threat to marine environment: A case study in Goa''the researchers collectedsamples of four species of finfishfrom two sites. Three species of shellfish were collectedfrom local fishermen.

The estuary is a valuable source of oyster, finfishand shellfish species, the study said.

''The average abundance of microplastics in the SalEstuary is significant which is comparable to the microplasticabundance in water from the Netherlands and China and insediments from China and Nova Scotia (Canada),'' it said.

''The significant presence of microplastics in thegastrointestinal tract of finfish may pose an additionalthreat to these fishes due to the leaching of chemicals,'' thestudy said.

Further, ''profound abundance'' of various microplasticsin bivalves (shellfish) poses risk to humans because bivalvesare mostly consumed as a whole, it noted.

''A similar signature of polymers in water andsediment, and in seafood suggests that human activities in thedensely populated area around the estuary might be the leadingsource of microplastic contamination,'' the paper said.

Fishing activities may also contribute to themicroplastic pollution in the estuary, it said.

''The study overall adds to the increasing evidencethat ubiquitous contamination by plastic particles isseriously impacting the coastal marine biota,'' the researcherssaid, calling for ''robust management strategies'' to stop it.

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