FATMIRA SHEHU1, BIZENA BIJO1, ELISABETTA BONERBA2, VALENTINA TERIO2, MARILIA TANTILLO2
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1 Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Kodër-Kamëz, Tirana, Albania * Corresponding author; e-mail: s_fatmira@yahoo.it Abstract The prevalence of microplastics in aquatic environments has raised concerns about their availability and risks to aquatic biota. Monitoring the ingestion of microplastics by fish in the environment is essential to understanding the risks that microplastics pose to the marine ecosystem. Since fish is an important source of animal protein for human beings, the occurrence and potential impacts of microplastics in fish deserve special attention. In this study, we investigated the ingestion of microplastics in 2 species of fish (30 samples of Spaurus aurata and 30 Dicentrarchus labrax) in the area of the Gulf of Vlora. The presence of microplastics was verified in 21.7 % of fish (9 in the stomach and 4 in the intestine). Fibers represented the largest amount of microplastics found, and the colors were mainly blue and black. Our results provided useful information for the assessment of the environmental risks posed by microplastics in the Vlora Bay area, from the perspective of marine organisms. Based on the literature, it can be concluded that microplastic pollution can occur in almost all types of aquatic habitats around the globe. Both field and laboratory studies suggest that fish are highly susceptible to ingesting microplastics. Keywords: microplastics; aquatic environments; Spaurus aurata; Dicentrarchus labrax |