Existence of Plastic Debris in the Stomach of Some Commercial Fish Species in the Lower Gulf of Thailand

Abstract

In present society, plastic has reached a decisive position, with extensive industrial, medicinal, municipal and commercial application. It has turned into a key global environmental issue in the current decade because of their marine ubiquity, bioavailability and capability of carrying toxic chemicals. It's very crucial and imperative to investigate about microplastic pollution not only in Thailand but also for the world because of its harmful effects on marine biota as well as for human well- being. The study emphases, for the first time, on the occurrence of plastic offal in the gastrointestinal contents of some commercially significant marine fishes caught from the lower Gulf of Thailand during August, 2017 to May, 2018. Size and weight range of the samples were 7.6 to 37.1 cm and 4 to 133 g. outcomes of the investigation emphasised on the ingestion of plastics in the 63.33% samples (171 out of 270 discrete fish samples). The plastics ingested were microplastics (53.40%; <5 mm), mesoplastics (45.18%; 5-25 mm) and macroplastics (1.42%; >25 mm). Transparent color plastics (38.24%) were the most dominant color found in the stomach of fishes examined. Fibres were the major types of plastics found during this study. There was no relationship found between size of plastics and different biological features of the investigated fishes. This present investigation emphasise the omnipresence of microplastics in the lower Gulf of Thailand marine biota, as well as the water column where fish lives and feed. Therefore, it denotes an urgency to diminish the use of plastics or to ensure the appropriate recycling of it. These preliminary findings signify an imperative phase in exploring eco-toxicological perspectives such as the occurrence and effects of plastic offal on the food chain; the probable impacts associated to the transmission of toxins on human health etc. Furthermore, operative controlling programs in the study zone and neighbouring extents for the plastic contamination are instantaneously obligatory.