MICROPLASTIC INGESTION IN MARINE BIOTA: A CASE STUDY IN THE NOTHERN IONIAN SEA

Nikoletta Digka, Catherine Tsangaris, Michelle Torre, Aikaterini Anastasopoulou, Christina

Zeri

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km, Athinon-Souniou Ave., P.O. Box 712, 19013
Anavyssos, Greece

Growing concern on the impacts of marine litter has on marine life has highlighted the need
to develop indicators for monitoring plastic particles ingested by marine animals. Mussels
and fish are recommended indicator species for monitoring microplastics i.e. (plastic items
smaller than 5 mm), since they can ingest microplastics from water and/or food, and they
are also used for pollution monitoring worldwide. The current study examines microplastics
ingested by mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), red mullets (Mullus barbatus) sardines
(Sardina pilchardus) and common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) from the Northern Ionian
Sea (Eastern Mediteranean Sea). Mussels were collected by hand in the port of Corfu and
from a mussel farm in Thesprotia. Fish were caught by offshore trawling North of Corfu.
Mussel tissues involved in feeding and digestion (gills and digestive glands), and fish
gastrointestinal contents were microscopically examined for microplastics after a digestion
treatment with hydrogen peroxide. Microplastic resembling items Items resembling
microplastics were found in all species examined. The items were photographed, counted
and categorized according to maximum length, colour and shape. Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to confirm the synthetic polymer origin of the resembling
microplastic items. FT-IR spectroscopy, although limited by particle size, identified
polyethylene and polypropylene items. FT-IR microscopy is required to analyze the majority
of suspicious items found in mussels and fish. Our results provide information on
microplastic occurrence in proposed indicator species from the Northern Ionian Sea and can
contribute to the definition of baseline levels of microplastics in marine biota, which is
crucial for the development of indicators of microplastic ingestion.

Acknowledgements. This work was carried out within the framework of DeFishGear project
co funded by the European Union Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).