Microplastics Dominate Bodies of Most Fishes in South Africa River

In a study, scientists have uncovered that fishes from the Vaal River in South Africa have high concentrations of microplastics in their intestinal tracks.

Microplastics absorb toxic substances and organic contaminants once they are present in oceans, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. Because of their small size and large surface area, bacteria and fungi can attach to and colonize them as well.

A team of researchers recently examined common carp fish taken from South Africa's Vaal River to close this gap. According to the country's Department of Water and Sanitation, this significant freshwater body supports close to 50% of South Africa's gross domestic product. In the provinces of Gauteng, the North West, Mpumalanga, and the Free State, the river provides services, agriculture, water for drinking, and industry, as well as water to about 11 million people.

Six hundred eighty-two particles total, ranging from seven to fifty-one per fish, were discovered by the team after sampling the digestive tracts of 26 fish. This indicates that the river is heavily contaminated with microplastics. The Vaal and other similar water bodies are used for livestock breeding, agriculture, and recreation, so this is not only potentially bad news for people's health, but it also has significant economic ramifications.

Toxic Prey

The team found that many of the microplastics they recovered from their samples were colored, tiny, and fibrous. These are concerning traits because research has found that several aquatic organisms are attracted to and eat tiny, colored, and fibrous microplastics that resemble real prey.

Smaller microplastics have more surface area than their larger counterparts, which allows them to absorb more contaminants from the water, increasing the risk to human health. Additionally, studies have shown that microplastics are more likely to end up in the muscles and livers of aquatic organisms the smaller they are. They become more dangerous to the animals as a result. Additionally, they are easily embedded in tissue due to their fibrous shape. The longer they are in an animal's intestines, the more toxic they become.

Last but not least, their study revealed coloring agents used in plastic manufacturing make colored microplastics especially toxic.

Public Awareness

Simply put, a lot of people have no idea what microplastics are or how they might be harmful. The team encountered some fishermen while sampling; other individuals were cooking and consuming fish while fishing along the banks of the Vaal River. They admitted they had never heard of this problem but were curious to learn what we were doing.

This highlights the significance of public education and social awareness. Public awareness strategies might start with early grade school curricula and include a wide range of persuasive and educational activities. It's crucial to emphasize responsible use and waste minimization in addition to reuse and recycling in the message. Additionally, people should be made aware of the dangers of storing food or water in plastic.

The key to building public pressure for effective waste regulations is raising awareness of these issues. This is significant because microplastic pollution has negative effects on social and economic systems in addition to the biophysical components of the environment.

Lakes and rivers are used for recreation, livestock breeding, transportation, and agriculture. These industries' safety, viability, productivity, and profitability are all extremely susceptible to plastic pollution. Both scientific and social concerns are raised by microplastic pollution, Phys Org reports.