According to Japanese media reports, the results of the survey compiled by a team composed of Shuping Tanaka, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Kyoto University in Japan, showed that fish that inhaled "microplastics" floating on the surface of the sea were found in Tokyo Bay, Osaka Bay, Lake Biwa and other large areas of the country, accounting for 40% of the total survey.
Infographic: Schools of fish in the sea
According to reports, "microplastics" refers to plastic bags, plastic bottles, etc. that are formed less than 5 mm after being damaged by ultraviolet rays and waves. While pollution has spread across the world's oceans, the investigation has revealed that Japan is also in a serious situation.
Because "microplastics" are easy to adsorb chemicals from the environment, Tanaka said it is "necessary to investigate the impact on marine life such as fish." It is understood that if humans eat "microplastics", they will be excreted from the body.
From October to December 2016, the investigation team conducted investigations in Onagawa Bay (Miyagi Prefecture), Tokyo Bay, Tsuruga Bay (Fukui Prefecture), Inyu Bay and Goso Bay (Mie Prefecture), Lake Biwa (Shiga Prefecture), and Osaka Bay.
A total of 197 fish samples were collected, and a total of 140 "microplastics" were found in 74 fish after a survey of the digestion tubes, equivalent to 40% of the total. The highest detection rate is in Tokyo Bay, accounting for about 80%. Next up are the anchovies in Osaka Bay, nearly 50%, and then the Far Eastern sardines in Onagawa Bay, which account for about 40%.
It is reported that anchovies and Far Eastern sardines will enter the body with food due to the "microplastics" that enter the body with food due to the filtration of inhaled water with gills and the intake of plankton. More than 50% of these two species of fish were found to be "microplastics", which is much higher than that of the trevalls, which account for about 20% and use other feeding methods.
Even if the total weight of the "microplastics" is the same, the smaller the individual size, the more the total amount of adsorbed chemicals. The survey was about microplastics over 0.1 millimeters, and Tanaka said, "We will investigate smaller 'microplastics' in the future." ”