Microplastics in fish and shellfish - A threat to seafood safety?

Abstract

Plastic litter in the oceans is a major environmental problem, and small size plastics (microplastics) have been detected in many species of fish and shellfish consumed by humans. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the knowledge on microplastics in fish and shellfish in relation to a possible threat to seafood safety. In fish and crustacean species, the presence of microplastics has in most cases been investigated and detected only in the gastrointestinal tract, which is commonly not eaten, and when present, only a very small number is usually found. Bivalves are probably the main source of microplastics when consuming seafood. Preliminary assessments have suggested that the contribution of hazardous chemicals from microplastics for top consumers of bivalves is very small compared to other sources. From the current knowledge on microplastics in seafood, there is no evidence that the safety of such highly recommended food is compromised.