analysis of ingested microplastics by the selected freshwater fish

Microplastics in water has now become a significant problem in many water bodies which in turn impacts the different organisms that live in these water bodies. the study focuses on the ingestion of microplastics by labeo rohita, which is a widely distributed and economically important freshwater fish species. the study focused on the detection and quantification of microplastics in the stomach of labeo rohita collected from different sites exposing different degrees of pollution. samples were obtained from three distinct freshwater environments: the first one represents a heavily polluted pond while the other is a moderately polluted pristine reservoir, and the third one, a river. the captured fish were examined and dissected using the light microscopy and fourier-transform infrared (ftir) spectroscopy for detection and enumeration of microplastics. results showed that fish collected from the highly polluted pond contained the highest levels of microplastic with fibers and fragments being the most abundant. the fish collected from the moderately polluted pristine reservoir contained less microplastic particles, and those found in the river contained negligible amounts of contamination. subsequent characterization of the findings indicated that microplastics are present in different organs such as the stomach and the intestines, which could point to the existence of bioaccumulation and possible physiological impacts. this paper also established the presence of microplastic pollution in labeo rohita and calls for specific pollution control measures since existing measures have insufficient effects in controlling environmental pollutants.