Analysis of Microplastic in Holothuria leucospilota (Echinodermata-Holothuroidea) and Sediments from Karachi coast, (Northern Arabian Sea)

Authors : Quratulan AHMED, Ayşah ÖZTEKİN, Qadeer Mohammad ALİ, Levent BAT, Iqra SHAİKH

Pages : 161-169

Doi:10.30897/ijegeo.1254544

View : 64 | Download : 10

Publication Date : 2023-03-19

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Microplastics are found in all aquatic environments, and they can have several negative impacts on marine life. In this study, the distribution of microplastics in the sediment and in the organs insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(gut, respiratory tree, and tentacles); of sea cucumber insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Holothuria leucospilota); collected from Mubarak Village and Cape Monze on the Karachi coast of Pakistan were investigated. The microplastic amount in different organs of H. leucospilota was found as 15.3-40.45 pieces/individual in the gut, 15.45-23.9 pieces/individual in the respiratory tree, 8.9-9.55 pieces/individual in tentacles. The microplastic amount of sediment samples was 57.40-129.35 pieces/kg. Fibers were the dominant microplastic type, up to 99% of all samples. The results of the present study show that the region is contaminated with microplastics both in biota and in sediments.
Keywords : Microplastic, Pollution, Pakistan, Karachi, Fiber

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