University lecturer warns of microplastics in catfish, banga, butterfish

He was careful to note that what has been proven “as yet” is whether the microplastics have accumulated in the tissues, “and we could potentially be ingesting these plastics which also have many health risks for us as humans.”

For marine animals, microplastics, fibers originating from synthetic textile products, are consumed mistakenly for prey.

“In terms of the different species, we found that the catfish had the highest abundance of microplastics.

“Of all the plastic we accumulated, over 70 per cent were found in the catfish in comparison to the other two,” Ram stated.

Ram noted that “microplastics are tiny fragments and though we may not see them in our fishes, they do have the ability to accumulate in our food.”

He added: “We’re already seeing that microplastics are being found everywhere – our food, our water, our soil and even our blood streams.”