Microplastics in water bodies can be ingested by very small organisms, which in turn are consumed by larger ones. As a result, the bodies of animals higher up in the food chain accumulate more microplastics and can suffer from amplified toxicity. This phenomenon is called bioaccumulation.

To understand microplastic bioaccumulation along the Goan coast, scientists from the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography in Goa and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research in Ghaziabad recently examined the habitats and feeding behaviour of 251 fishes belonging to nine species of finfish and shellfish. These included mackerel, anchovy, oyster, clam, catfish, sardine, and other commercial varieties, which the team captured from various depths in the ocean’s water column.

In a study publi

See Full Page