New research found the presence of microplastics and other “anthropogenic particles” (APs) in a number of different commercial marine species in the U.S. state of Oregon.
A peer-reviewed study published by scientists from Portland State University and Oregon State University found the presence of microplastics or APs in 99 percent of seafood samples either purchased in a store or from a fishing boat. According to the study, 180 out of 182 samples of seafood contained one of the two forms of particles.
“As long as we’re using plastic as a major component in our daily lives and we’re using it in a widespread fashion, we’re going to see them in our food, too,” Elise Granek, one of the study’s co-authors and a researcher with Portland State University, told The Guardian.
The study, which was designed to inform policy decisions on contamination of Oregon finfish and shellfish and better understand the extent of contamination, researched black rockfish, lingcod, Chinook salmon, Pacific herring, Pacific lamprey, and pink shrimp. The study said the six species were chosen based on economic importance to Oregon’s fisheries, along with their historical and cultural significance.
“We examined AP contamination in individuals harvested from Oregon coastal waters, assessing differences between those obtained directly after being caught on NOAA or Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife vessels and those caught on commercial vessels but purchased at retail markets to understand AP contamination entry,” the study said.
The study hypothesized that seafood purchased at retail would have higher concentrations than those recently caught due to exposure to plastic during seafood processing.
Based on the study, the highest concentration of particles occurred in pink shrimp. Pink shrimp taken directly from a fishing vessel had, on average, 10.67 particles per gram of tissue tested, while retail-purchased pink shrimp had 7.6 particles per gram.
The other species that the study compared between wild-caught and retail was lingcod, which showed an opposite relationship: retail lingcod had 0.09 particles per gram of tissue, while fresh caught only had 0.02 particles per gram.
“Our source type comparisons indicate ambiguity in retail processing as a source: AP concentrations were greater for retail than vessel-retrieved lingcod (after rinsing the surface flesh of fillets) but lower for retail than vessel-retrieved pink shrimp (after rinsing),” the study said. “It is unclear why the retail process did not add microplastics to lingcod, as was observed for pink shrimp, indicating a need for further investigation to understand where and when AP contamination occurs post-catch.”
The lowest concentration of particles was found in Chinook salmon, which only had an average of 0.028 particles per gram.
Concentrations of microplastics in seafood has been a topic of numerous studies in recent years, with the seafood industry saying the protein has faced disproportionate criticism compared to land-based proteins. Recent research found there is a negligible difference between the amount of microplastics in seafood and other types of protein.
