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Microplastics found in 4 out of 10 fish in Turkiye's Izmit

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Updated: Jan 3

Plastic pollution is the fastest-growing threat facing the oceans, and it can cause irreversible damage to Türkiye's marine ecosystem shortly


According to ongoing research investigating the effects of microplastics on biodiversity, four out of every 10 fish in the Gulf of Izmit had microplastics in their digestive tracts.


The Gulf of Izmit, in the east of the Marmara Sea, has become a drainage point for an approximately 25 million-person population and has become polluted due to increasing population, industrialization, and maritime traffic since the 1970s. Researchers examined 12 fish species, most of which are consumed as food and have an important function in the biogeochemical cycles of the seas.


Lecturer Ülgen Aytan, from the Department of Marine Biology at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, conducted research with her team in 2019 on fish in the Gulf of Izmit.


Types of plastic


Plastics contain all kinds of pollutants and are one of the leading pollutants. Aytan stated that the type of microplastic quite common in fish was fibres from synthetic textile products. According to the research, microplastics were found in 80% red mullet, 53% streaked gurnard, 40% horse mackerel, 39% rockfish, 20% greater weever and 10% haddock.


Explaining that they evaluated plastics according to their physical and chemical properties in their research, Aytan said plastic fibres are usually carried by the wind or sewage due to the laundering of synthetic textiles.


Another type of common microplastic pollution originates from the fragmentation of all kinds of plastic materials, such as detergent bottles, packaging, and plastic bags. Aytan also pointed out that global plastic production is expected to quadruple by 2050, and even if plastic entry into the marine environment is stopped, the plastics that have entered since the 1950s continue to break down.


Plastic threat


Living things like mussels and anchovies that feed by filtering water are at significant risk because they cannot avoid ingesting microplastics and chemicals. "Most of these chemicals are bio-accumulative. They can be transferred from one living thing to another through the food chain. For example, if an anchovy consumes microplastic, the larger fish that feed on it also ingests it. In addition, sea life can mistake microplastics as natural nutrients and consume them by mistake," Aytan said.


When we look at previous studies, data shows microplastic pollution in the Marmara exceeds a million particles per kilometre. While the current studies show that Türkiye is on the path to being one of the worst affected by microplastics, Aytan said, "We cannot say that Izmit Bay is in a very bad condition, neither can we say anything positive in this regard, but there is a reported range for microplastic consumption."


Emphasizing that research has shown the consumption of microplastics in more than 400 fish species worldwide: "More than half of these fish are economically valuable and consumed by people. These fish may pose a greater threat to human health. It is crucial to understand the extent of pollution in the environment, to make a risk assessment and to guide decision-makers in terms of ecosystem and human health and the measures to be taken."


Solutions


"We urgently need to reduce the plastic in our seas and urge the development of new technologies to remove what is already there. We are now talking about a toxic, persistent pollutant that has spread to the poles. A pollutant with such high buoyancy can be transported to even the most remote ecosystems.


"There is a need for solid waste management and wastewater treatment. The use of single-use plastics should be banned globally. However, while we wait for these regulations, we should not forget that even our personal preferences will create a global change. We must choose carefully when shopping. We all have an important share in this pollution," Aytan emphasized.



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