A simple and low-cost methodology for plastic detection in marine fish in Brazil

The existence of plastic in marine environment is a current reality. The increasing presence of this anthropogenic material in the oceans is due to improper waste disposal. The contaminant can sometimes be ingested by marine animals, either primarily or through the consumption of animals that have ingested plastic. The impact of plastic residues ingestion includes gastrointestinal tract obstruction, malnutrition, and even intoxication. Considering that plastic ingestion is a significant cause of death among marine animals, a methodology for quantifying the ingestion of this pollutant is necessary to determine the extent of marine pollution. The methodology presented in the study is simple, low-cost, and reproducible in less equipped laboratories. The technique was conducted for the qualitative identification of plastic presence in the gastrointestinal tract of fish originated from Ubatuba-SP region, demonstrating effectiveness. The sampling included 104 specimens from 15 species and the pollutant was observed in 17.3% of the total.