Md Ali Hossain Shamim ^a,b,c,f, Jun Wang ^e, Kazi Belayet Hossain ^b, Md Mazharul Islam ^a,b,c,

A B M Sadique Rayhan ^a,b,c, Chen Kai ^b Hongwei Ke ^b,d, Xuehong Zheng ^b,d, Chunhui Wang ^b,d, Ding Chen ^b,d, Minggang Cai ^a,b,c,d,*

^a Coastal and Ocean Management Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China

^b State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen-361102, China

^c College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen-361102, China

^d College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen-361102, China

^e Department of marine biology, Xiamen ocean vocational college, Xiamen-361102, China

^f Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock, Dhaka-1217, Bangladesh

*E-mail：mgcai@xmu.edu.cn

【Abstract】：Microplastics (MPs) pollution in aquaculture-farmed ponds poses a significant environmental concern, yet comprehensive studies are scarce, especially in Bangladesh. This study investigates the distribution, abundance, and characteristics of MPs in both water and fish samples from aquaculture-farmed ponds in Bangladesh. The results reveal ubiquitous presence of MPs in water samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.095 to 0.36 items/L, influenced by various factors including drainage waste, residential areas, storm water, and runoff. Fish samples from these ponds exhibited an average of 23.37 items/individual, with eleven fish species showing 100% MP detection rates. The MPs abundance varied among fish species, tissues, and feeding habits. Morphological analysis revealed fibers as the predominant MP form, with varying sizes and colors observed. FTIR analysis identified cellulose, cotton, nylon, and PE as the primary polymer compositions in both water and fish samples. Contrary to some prior findings, no significant correlation was found between fish body size and MPs abundance, suggesting MPs consumption is primarily influenced by environmental contamination levels. Pollution risk assessment indices indicated elevated levels of MPs contamination in both water and fish samples, with some ponds exhibiting high-risk levels. Overall, this study underscores the urgent need for mitigation strategies to curb MPs pollution in aquaculture ecosystems to safeguard environmental and human health. Further research is requisite to explore the sources and impacts of MPs in aquaculture environments comprehensively.

【Keywords】：Microplastics, Aquaculture farmed pond, Bangladesh, Feeding Habit, Gill, GIT

*Corresponding author: Minggang Cai , Professor (mgcai@xmu.edu.cn)