Abstract Anthropogenic microparticles derived from synthetic polymers and industrially modified natural materials have become persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems because of their capacity to adsorb and transport other contaminants. In this study, we quantified anthropogenic microparticles (AMPs) ingestion and evaluated its relationship with total mercury concentrations (THg; liver + muscle) in 23 blue sharks ( Prionace glauca ) from the northern Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), a key corridor for global fisheries and debris transport associated with the North Pacific Garbage Patch. All individuals contained AMPs (mean ± SD = 32 ± 37 particles per digestive tract). Most particles were 1000). Given the observational design, limited sample size, and the fact that seasons were sampled in different years, the NPAMP–THg relationship should be interpreted as co-occurrence rather than direct evidence of contaminant transfer. Furthermore, because particles were quantified only in non-edible tissues, these findings cannot be directly extrapolated to seafood safety risk. Nevertheless, NPAMPs emerge as a previously under-recognized component of contaminant exposure in pelagic predators and should be incorporated into future marine monitoring frameworks.
Rechimont et al. (Sat,) studied this question.