Alarming Level of Microplastics Found in Fish—Eating It 'A Personal Choice'

Alarming Level of Microplastics Found in Fish—Eating It 'A Personal Choice'

Source: newsweek

9/22/2022

Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus

A large proportion of fish meant for human consumption may contain microplastics, scientists have found, with one expert saying that the decision whether to eat fish or not was a "personal choice."

According to a paper published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, three quarters of fish caught off the coast of southern New Zealand contained some degree of microplastic in their tissues.

Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic defined as being less than 0.2 inches in diameter.

"75% of fish that I sampled had ingested microplastic. I sampled fish over a two-year period, throughout all seasons, along the south-east coastline of southern Aotearoa (New Zealand), from Oamaru to Te Waewae Bay," coastal scientist and lead author of the study, Isabella Clere, told Newsweek.