Browsing by Subject "kalat"

In this Master’s thesis, microplastic (<5 mm) ingestion by coastal fish in Finland was investigated. Fish were caught at nine locations on the coast of Finland. Water samples were taken at seven locations. The research questions were: How much microplastics are there in coastal fish in Finland? Are there differences in the frequency of microplastic ingestion by fish between different locations or species? Is there a relationship between the size of the fish and the presence of ingested plastic particles? Is there a relationship between the stomach fullness and the presence of ingested plastic particles? Does the frequency of microplastic ingestion by fish correlate with the amount of microplastics in seawater in the same locations? The gastrointestinal tracts of 503 fish were analysed. Microplastics were found in 40 fish (8 %). The frequency of fish with plastic was significantly higher in Kivinokka, Helsinki than in other locations studied. No relationship was found between the size or the species of the fish and the presence of ingested plastic particles. Also, no relationship was found between the stomach fullness and plastic ingested. There was no correlation between the frequency of microplastic ingestion by fish and the amount of microplastics in seawater. The results of the thesis were compared to previous research results from the open sea areas of the northern Baltic Sea. The comparison suggests that the ingestion of microplastics is more common in coastal fish in Finland than in the open water fish in the northern Baltic Sea. This thesis provides the first published record of plastic particles in the gastrointestinal tracts of coastal fish in Finland. Long-term studies are recommended in order to confirm the results.