Occurrence and Visual Characteristics of Suspected Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Wild Rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus) from Tamisan, Pujada Bay, Philippines

Chella May Sison; Eleanor Vilela

doi:10.55927/eajmr.v5i6.148

Authors

Chella May Sison Davao Oriental State University
Eleanor Vilela Davao Oriental State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i6.148

Keywords:

microplastics, Siganus guttatus, gastrointestinal tract, Pujada Bay, visual identification

Abstract

Microplastic pollution threatens coastal ecosystems through ingestion by marine organisms. This study assessed the occurrence and characteristics of suspected microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of wild rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus) from Tamisan, Pujada Bay. Sixty samples were collected and analyzed using KOH digestion, filtration, and stereomicroscopy. Microplastics were identified based on morphology and color over the sampling period, without FTIR confirmation due to size limitations. Results showed 26.7% occurrence (16/60), with a mean of 0.27 ± 0.45 particles per fish. Fibers dominated (87.5%), with blue as the most frequent color. These findings indicate exposure of wild rabbitfish to microplastics and highlight the need for continued monitoring and polymer confirmation.

References

Abreo, N. A. S., Macusi, E. D., Blatchley, D. D., & Cuenca, G. C. (2016). Ingestion of marine plastic debris by green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Davao Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 145(1), 17–23. ISSN 0031 - 7683

Alburo, H. M., Geolin, K. R. C., Villegas, L. M. G., & Alburo, R. P. (2024). Occurrence, characterization, and hazard assessment of microplastics in edible tissues of commercial fishes from public wet markets in Cebu Province, Philippines. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 12(4), 309–320. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v12i4.2331

Andrady, A. L. (2017). The plastic in microplastics: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 119(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.082

Andrady, A. L., Barnes, P. W., Bornman, J. F., Gouin, T., Madronich, S., White, C. C., & Jansen, M. A. K. (2022). Oxidation and fragmentation of plastics in a changing environment: From UV radiation to biological degradation. Science of the Total Environment, 851, 158022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158022

Auta, H. S., Emenike, C. U., & Fauziah, S. H. (2017). Distribution and importance of microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the sources, fate, effects, and potential solutions. Environment International, 102, 165–176.

Barboza, L. G. A., Vethaak, A. D., Lavorante, B. R. B. O., Guilhermino, L., & Marine Microplastics Research Group. (2020). Marine microplastic debris: An emerging issue for food security, food safety, and human health. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 133, 336–348.

Barnes, D. K. A., Galgani, F., Thompson, R. C., & Barlaz, M. (2009). Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 364(1526), 1985–1998. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0205

Cowger, W., Gray, A., Christiansen, S. H., De Frond, H., Deshpande, A. D., Hemabessiere, L., Lee, E., Millan, R., Munno, K., Pagter, E., Primpke, S., & Rochman, C. M. (2021). Critical review of microplastic identification methods: A proposed framework. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 413, 609–626.

Covernton, G. A., Pearce, C. M., Gurney-Smith, H. J., Chastain, S. G., Ross, P. S., & Dower, J. F. (2021). Size and shape matter: A preliminary analysis of microplastic ingestion by fish. Science of the Total Environment, 667, 124–132.

Cox, K. D., Covernton, G. A., Davies, H. L., Dower, J. F., Juanes, F., & Dudas, S. E. (2019). Human consumption of microplastics. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(12), 7068–7074. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517

De Falco, F., Cocca, M., Avella, M., & Thompson, R. C. (2020). Microfiber release to water via laundering and to air via everyday use. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(6), 3288–3296. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b06892

Espiritu, E. Q., Dayrit, S. A., Coronel, A. S. O., Paz, N. S., Ronquillo, P. I. L., Castillo, V. C. G., & Enriquez, E. P. (2019). Assessment of quantity and quality of microplastics in sediments, waters, oysters, and selected fish species in key sites along the bombing estuary and the coastal waters of Tilacan in San Juan, Batangas, Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 148(4), 789–801.

Fox, R. J., & Bellwood, D. R. (2014). Herbivores in a small world: Network theory highlights vulnerability in the function of herbivory on coral reefs.. Functional Ecology, 28(3), 642–651. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12190

Galicia, M. L. C., Flestado, C. L. P., Magalong, J. R. S., Rivera, R. B. L., Villacorte, K. M., Sarmiento, W. P. G., & Deocaris, C. C. (2023). Assessment of microplastics in the surface water of Sitio Pulo, Navotas, Metro Manila. Applied Environmental Research, 45(1). DOI:10.35762/AER.2023001

Galarpe, V. R. K., Jaraula, C. M. B., & Paler, M. K. O. (2021). The nexus of macroplastic and microplastic research and plastic regulation policies in Philippine marine coastal environments. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 167, 112343.

GESAMP. (2019). Guidelines for the monitoring and assessment of plastic litter in the ocean. United Nations.

Gewert, B., Plassmann, M. M., & MacLeod, M. (2015). Pathways for degradation of plastic polymers floating in the marine environment. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 17(9), 1513–1521. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5em00207a

Go, M. R., Ybañez, A. P., Cababat, F. A., & De La Calzada, L. J. (2024). Microplastics in beach sediments, seawater, and common fish in tourist destinations. Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 10(4), 1993–2008. https://doi.org/10.22034/gjesm.2024.04.30

Hidalgo-Ruz, V., Gutow, L., Thompson, R. C., & Thiel, M. (2012). Microplastics in the marine environment: A review of methods used for identification and quantification. Environmental Science & Technology, 46(6), 3060–3075.

Hirt, N., & Body-Malapel, M. (2020). Immunotoxicity and intestinal effects of nano- and microplastics: A review of the literature. Particle and Fibre Toxicology, 17, 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12989-020-00387-7

Hoey, A., Brandl, S. & Bellwood, D. (2013). Diet and cross-shelf distribution of rabbitfishes (f. Siganidae) on the northern Great Barrier Reef: Implications for ecosystem function. Coral Reefs. 32 (4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-013-1043-z.

Hossain, M. M., & Olden, J. D. (2022). Global meta-analysis reveals diverse effects of microplastics on freshwater and marine fishes. Fish and Fisheries, 23(6), 1439–1454. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12701

Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A. L., Narayan, R., & Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. ScienceMag.Org. Marine Pollution. 347(6223), 768–771. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260352

Karami, A., Golieskardi, A., Choo, C. K., Romano, N., Ho, Y. B., & Salamatinia, B. (2017). A high-performance protocol for extraction of microplastics in fish. Science of the Total Environment, 578, 485–494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.213

Latuconsina, H., Purbiantoro, W., & Padang, A. (2021). Feeding preference of white-spotted rabbitfish (Siganus canaliculatus) on different species of seagrass. AACL Bioflux, 14(6), 3242–3251.

Law, K. L., & Thompson, R. C. (2014). Microplastics in the seas. Science, 345(6193), 144–145. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1254065

Lebreton, L. C. M., Egger, M., & Slat, B. (2019). A global mass budget for positively buoyant microplastic debris in the ocean. Sci Rep., 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49413-5

Liang, W., Li, B., Jong, M. C., Ma, C., Zuo, C., Chen, Q., & Shi, H. (2023). Process-oriented impacts of microplastic fibers on behavior and histology of fish. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 448, 130856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130856

Lusher, A. L., Welden, N. A., Sobral, P., & Cole, M. (2017). Sampling, isolating, and identifying microplastics ingested by fish and invertebrates. Analytical Methods, 9(9), 1346–1360. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C6AY02415G

Mizraji, R., Ahrendt, C., Perez-Venegas, D. J., & Vargas, J. (2017). Is the feeding type related with the content of microplastics in intertidal fish gut? Marine Pollution Bulletin, 116(1–2), 498–500. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.008

Parawansa, B. S., Ali, S. A., Nessa, M. N., Rappe, R. A., & Indar, N. (2020). Biological analysis of adult rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus) in seagrass and coral reef ecosystems. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 473, 012006. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/473/1/012006

Peng, L., Fu, D., Qi, H., Lan, C. Q., Yu, H., & Ge, C. (2020). Micro- and nano-plastics in marine environment: Sources, distribution, and threats. Science of the Total Environment, 698, 134254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134254

Prata, J. C., da Costa, J. P., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2020). Methods for sampling and detection of microplastics in water and sediment: A critical review. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 110, 150–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.10.029

Prata, J. C., da Costa, J. P., Lopes, I., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2020). Environmental exposure to microplastics: An overview on possible human health effects. Science of the Total Environment, 702, 134455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134455

Provencher, J. F., Ammendolia, J., Rochman, C. M., & Mallory, M. L. (2019). Assessing plastic debris in aquatic food webs. Environmental Reviews, 27(2), 171–186.

Roch, S., Friedrich, C., & Brinker, A. (2020). Uptake routes of microplastics in fishes: Practical and theoretical approaches to test existing theories. Scientific Reports, 10, 3896. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60630-1

Rochman, C. M., Hoh, E., Kurobe, T., & Teh, S. J. (2013). Ingested plastic transfers hazardous chemicals to fish and induces hepatic stress. Scientific Reports, 3, 3263. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03263

Santos, R. G., Andrades, R., Fardim, L. M., & Martins, A. S. (2016). Marine debris ingestion and plastic color. Environmental Pollution, 214, 585–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.024

Savoca, M. S., McInturf, A. G., & Hazen, E. L. (2021). Plastic ingestion by marine fish is widespread and increasing. Global Change Biology, 27(10), 2188–2199. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15533

Smith, M., Love, D. C., Rochman, C. M., & Neff, R. A. (2018). Microplastics in seafood and implications for human health. Current Environmental Health Reports, 5(3), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-018-0206-z

Teuten, E. L., Saquing, J. M., Knappe, D. R. U., Barlaz, M. A., Jonsson, S., Björn, A., Rowland, S., Thompson, R. C., Galloway, T., Tamashita, R., Ochi, D., Watanuki, Y., Moore, C., Viet, PH., Tana, TS., Prudente, M., Boonyatumanond, R., Zakaria, MP., Akkhavong, K., Ogata, Y., Hirai, H., Iwasa, S., Mizukawa, K., Hagino, Y., Imamura, A., saha, M. & Takada, H. (2009). Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), 2027-2045. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0284

van Sebille, E., Wilcox, C., Lebreton, L., Maximenko, N., Hardesty, B. D., van Franeker, J. A., Eriksen, M., Siegel, D., Galgani, F., & Law, K. L. (2015). A global inventory of small floating plastic debris. Environmental Research Letters, 15(6), 063001. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124006

Wright, S. L., Thompson, R. C., & Galloway, T. S. (2013). The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: A review. Elsevier. Environmental Pollution, 178, 483–492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.02.031

Wright, S. L., Ulke, J., Font, A., Chan, K. L. A., & Kelly, F. J. (2020). Atmospheric microplastic deposition in an urban environment and an evaluation of transport. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(4), 2485–2494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105411

Zhou, A., Zhang, Y., Xie, S., Chen, Y., Li, X., Wang, J., & Zou, J. (2020). Microplastics and their potential effects on aquaculture systems: A critical review. Reviews in Aquaculture, 13(1), 719–733. 733. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12496