Historically low microplastic loads within white bream (Blicca bjoerkna) in the Marmara basin, Türkiye

Kurtul I., Parker B., Bayçelebi E., Oral Kaba M., Kaya C., Akalin S., ...Daha Fazla

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, cilt.2, ss.21-32, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.21-32
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Microplastic pollution is on the of the most pressing threats for aquatic biodiversity, yet information on loads and types of microplastic pollution are widely lacking. This is also the case in Türkiye, where fish biodiversity is already threatened by several stressors. Assessment of 154 white bream Blicca bjoerkna specimens collected between 1963 and 2004 from Manyas and Uluabat lakes, northwest Türkiye, revealed that only 3.2% of fish were contaminated with microplastics, with a mean incidence and standard error of 0.04 ± 0.02 particles. Black fibres and white fragments were spectroscopically confirmed as polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate. Contamination status of individuals was unrelated to Fulton's condition factor, lake identity, sampling year, and sex. The presented results thus highlight the utility of historical collection specimens in assessing temporal microplastic contamination within freshwater fishes.