The scientists warned that the results would suggest that some fishing areas are suffering from poor plastic waste management.
A study by the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) reported for the first time the ingestion of microplastics in organisms of the species of fish known as Boquichico, in the jungle region of Loreto, the Ministry of the Environment reported in a statement.
Specifically, the scientific research identified microplastics in the stomach contents of specimens of Boquichico (Prochilodus nigricans Agassiz) from the Belén market, the most populous neighborhood of Iquitos, the largest city in the world that cannot be accessed by road.
The scientists in charge of the study warned that the results would be suggesting that some fishing areas are suffering from the mismanagement of plastic waste, negatively impacting the ecosystems and ichthyofauna of the Peruvian Amazon and that, through consumption, it could affect people’s health.
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“The fish analyzed could come from areas near Iquitos or even from the lower part of the Itaya River (just at the height of the Belén market), which is one of the areas most affected by contamination by solid waste, where they are frequently observed people doing fishing ”, detailed the authors.
This finding, they remarked, is “very important” due to the nutritional and commercial weight of the Boquichico in the Amazon area of the country, where this species occupies the first places in fishing landings.
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In addition, they pointed out that microplastics would add to other disturbances that this species is currently subjected to due to human beings, related to oil and hydroelectric activities.
To carry out this study, about 50 individuals of eleven different species were analyzed, including six of the Boquichico variety.
In these specimens, a total of 17 microplastic particles were recorded, with an average of 0.34 for each fish of that species, whose size fluctuates between 0.4 and 4.39 millimeters, in the form of filaments and irregular fragments. (I)
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