Characteristics and retention of microplastics in the digestive tracts of fish from the Yellow Sea

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are a major global issue in the marine environment, and fish inhabiting coastal environments are susceptible to the ingestion of MPs. Knowledge regarding MPs in fish along the coast of China is very limited. In this study, the characteristics and retention of MPs in 19 fish species in the Yellow Sea were systematically studied. MPs were detected in all of the fish species sampled. Overall, 34% (444/1320) of fish retained plastic, and 552 pieces of plastic were removed from these fish, among which 546 pieces (99%) were microplastics (i.e.,