Microplastics in fresh and processed seafood – A survey of products sold in Germany
Julia Süssmann, Torsten Krause, Elke Kerstin Fischer, Elke Walz, Ralf Greiner, Sascha Rohn, Jan Fritsche
Abstract
Plastic contamination in aquatic environments has raised concerns about human exposure through seafood consumption. Recent studies have suggested that microplastic (MP) enters food via processing and packaging, but research on their presence in commercial seafood products is limited. This study aimed to contribute to human dietary MP exposure data by investigating the occurrence of MP in fresh and processed seafood products from the German retail market. A total of 130 products were analyzed, including fresh, frozen, smoked, canned, and marinated seafood. Plastic particles ≥5 μm were quantified using fluorescence imaging, with counts ranging from 0 to 183 MP/g wet weight (median 0.9 MP/g). 97 % of all detected MP in seafood products were smaller than 150 μm. Only 16 % of the examined products contained plastics in amounts exceeding the detection limit of pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and could therefore be identified and quantified. The identified MP consisted of polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polypropylene. The annual dietary MP intake via seafood consumption in Germany was estimated to be approximately 16,500 particles per capita. Canned fish showed the highest particle counts of all products (median 2.4 MP/g). No statistically significant differences in MP abundance were observed between species or origin. The study indicated that increased MP occurrence in seafood was associated with food contact materials. These findings highlight the need for further research on the occurrence and content of plastic particles in seafood throughout the entire seafood processing chain to thoroughly assess the dietary human micro- and nanoplastic exposure.