Microplastic ingestion by Psettodes erumei in the northern Oman Sea

Authors

1 Department of Environmental Science and Forest, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (SRBIAU), P. O. Box 14515-775, Tehran, Iran

2 Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

3 Caspian Sea Ecology Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Sari, Iran

10.22092/ijfs.2024.132449

Abstract

Recently, the contamination of microplastics (MPs) has emerged as a globally significant issue, raising concerns across all environmental matrices, particularly in marine environments. This study investigates the ingestion of MPs by Psettodes erumei, a commercially important demersal fish in the northern Oman Sea, Iran, with the aim of assessing the presence and characteristics of MPs in gills, guts, and skin. A total of 154 microplastic particles were identified across all tissues examined. These MPs were characterized based on their physical (size, shape, and color) and chemical (polymer types) attributes using a stereomicroscope and Raman spectroscopy respectively. The results showed that fibers were the most prevalent shape and blue and black being the dominant colors. Predominant MPs ranged in size from 50-200 µm. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the most common polymers detected. These findings highlight the pervasive nature of MP contamination in marine environments and raise concerns about potential health risks to humans consuming contaminated seafood.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences
Volume 24, Issue 1
November 2025
Pages 161-175

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