Microplastic contamination in commercially important fish and shellfish from coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal off Chennai, southeast coast of India

Microplastics (MPs) in seafood have become a major concern, as consuming contaminated food may affect human health. This study aims to assess the microplastic ingestion in commercially important fishes from the Southeast coast of India. The average (particles/individual) ingestion of MPs was higher in barnacles 28.2±10.9 (A. amphitrite) followed by bivalve 5.8±3.7(S. radiata), 2.3±1.7 (P. viridis) and fish 1.4±2 (gills-GI), 1.3±1.1 (gastrointestinal tract-GIT). Fibres were found to be the dominant shape of MPs, and red (finfish), black (Shellfish) was the dominant colour. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images exhibit rough surface and degradation features. Polyamide (PA), Polyethylene (PE), and Polypropylene (PP) are the polymers that were identified by Raman spectroscopy. The occurrence of microplastic in commercially important fishes and shellfishes raises concerns about seafood safety and health risks.