Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in commercially important bottom dwelling finfishes and shellfish of the Vembanad Lake, India.

Abstract This paper characterize microplastics (MPs) in the heavily urbanized, brackish water Vembanad Lake (India), focussing on some commercially important bottom-feeding fishes and shellfish (Arius maculatus, Etroplus suratensis, E. maculatus and Villorita sp.). The average abundance of MPs was higher in the water column (872 ± 573 nos./m3) than in finfishes (15 ± 13 particles per fish) and shellfish (23 ± 20 nos./ind.). Fibre was the most abundant MP type in the water and the organisms examined. The size of MPs obtained from finfishes ranged between 0.04 and 4.73 mm (4 ± 3 mm), with a majority of particles being