Effect of microplastics in the lambari-do-rabo-amarelo (Astyanax altiparanae (GARUTTI e BRITSKI, 2000)) provided by diet

• Grant number: 20/08997-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2020
• End date: October 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo
• Grantee: Ana Laura Athayde Lourenço
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5mm, are easily found in aquatic ecosystems and can be ingested by a wide variety of organisms, such as fish. The lambari-do-rabo-amarelo is a microphagous fish that feeds on microscopic beings and particles, becoming susceptible to the ingestion of microplastics in the environment. In addition, the lambari-do-rabo-amarelo has great economic and culinary importance, being used as bait for fishing, in aquariums, as a predator of larvae and in human consumption. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the possible ecotoxicological effects caused by the ingestion of microplastics from polymers such as polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the lambari-do-rabo-amarelo, once PE polymeric microplastics are the most reported in surface water samples and textile fibers of the PET polymer correspond to one of the main contributions of microplastics to the water column. The observed parameters to assess toxicity will be: mortality, malformation / biometrics and changes in swimming behavior. Finally, digestion and excretion of the ingested microplastics will be monitored, and the detection of microplastics collected from the gastrointestinal tract and feces will be done using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.