Abstract

Microplastics are small (generally less than 5 mm diameter) particles produced for industrial purposes or formed by breakdown of anthropogenic debris. These particles have become prevalent in many of the world’s oceans and the occurrence of microplastic in the intestinal tracts of marine fish is a concern to human and ocean health due to pollutants and pathogens associated with plastics. Studies have shown that the incidence of microplastics in marine fish varies with species and location, though causes of variation are not well understood. Data on incidence of microplastics in commercially exploited fish in the eastern Caribbean Sea has not previously been reported. Many eastern Caribbean islands have high coastal population densities, variable waste management strategies and the region is vulnerable to natural disasters including hurricanes and flooding.Prevalence of microplastics in six fish species harvested for human consumption in this region were studied. Intestinal tracts of pelagic, semi-pelagic and demersal fish obtained from Grenadian fishermen were examined. Harvested tissue was digested in 10% KOH, passed through a 180 ?m sieve and retained particles were observed at 20X magnification to identify type, color and size. 97.1% of fish observed contained microplastics regardless of life histories. Our findings underscore the importance of future studies to identify contaminant levels in commercially exploited fish in the eastern Caribbean. This will contribute to understanding of the health risks and aid the design of risk reduction strategies for plastic contamination.

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