Farmed stage (age)-dependent accumulation and size of microplastics in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp reared in a super-intensive controlled system

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 918; p. 170575
• Main Authors: Valencia-Castañeda, Gladys, Medina-López, Jesús A., Frías-Espericueta, Martín G., Páez-Osuna, Federico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 25-03-2024
• Subjects: Biofloc culture; Fibers; Gulf of California; Polyethylene; Polymers; Shrimp aquaculture; Gulf of California; Biofloc culture; Polyethylene; Shrimp aquaculture; Polymers; Fibers
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170575

The abundance of microplastics (MPs) in the gastrointestinal tract (GT), gills (GI), and exoskeleton (EX) of Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp cultured in a commercial indoor super-intensive controlled (ISCO) system was investigated. Shrimp of 25 days (postlarvae; PL25), and one, three, five, and seven culture months were analyzed. The postlarvae PL25 MP abundance per individual and gram of PL (wet weight) was 0.2 ± 0.0 MPs and 3.5 ± 0.5 MPs/g. For L. vannamei juveniles at one, three, five, and seven culture months, the MP abundance per juvenile shrimp was 10.0 ± 0.3, 27.2 ± 1.6, 32.3 ± 3.1, and 40.3 ± 3.6 MPs/individual, respectively (expressed in MPs/g of tissue were 1.6 ± 0.1, 2.0 ± 0.2, 2.0 ± 0.3 and 1.5 ± 0.2, respectively). Fibers were the most common MP type in all shrimp age classes (42.1–68.7 %), and the predominant color was transparent (46.1–65.0 %). The MP size in all shrimp stages ranged between 15 and 4686 μm. In general, the predominant polymers identified were PE (37.4 %), NY (21.1 %), and PET (18.5 %). The MP variability through the culture cycle showed that as the age of shrimp increased, and the culture advanced the MP abundance and size also augmented. Conversely, there is a higher MP abundance in L. vannamei cultured in ISCO systems compared to shrimp cultured in traditional semi-intensive and intensive ponds and those from wild environments. The latter is probably due to the extensive use of plasticized materials (geomembrane and greenhouse installations) and their degradation, which cause a greater MP exposure to shrimp. The estimated oral MP intake by ISCO shrimp consumption was 647 MPs/capita/year, which can be 178 % more than from wild shrimp.
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•For first time is examined age-dependent accumulation of MPs in cultured shrimp.•MPs prevail in shrimp through the culture cycle of super-intensive systems (SIS).•The accumulation and size of MPs in shrimp increase as the culture cycle progresses.•Six polymers (PE, NY, PET, PS, PP, and PA) were identified with fibers dominant.•Oral intake to MPs by SIS shrimp consumption can be 178% more than from wild shrimp.