Microplastics in farmed and wild Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Diverse Aquatic Environments in Bangladesh

Microplastics in farmed and wild Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Diverse Aquatic Environments in Bangladesh | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Microplastics in farmed and wild Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Diverse Aquatic Environments in Bangladesh Md. Rafiqul Islam, Mohammad Lokman Ali, Sabrina Akter Rinju, Mst. Sharifa Akter Ema, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8743264/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Microplastic (MP) contamination has become a global concern due to the widespread use of plastics, their environmental persistence, and associated health risks. To determine whether MPs are also present in the commercially important freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii , gut, gills and muscles of prawns from both culture and capture in key prawn-producing districts of southwestern Bangladesh were examined. MP extraction involved tissue digestion, filtration, microscopic analysis, and polymer identification using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in MP abundance between cultured prawns (8.91 ± 1.38 items/individual) and captured prawns (5.87 ± 1.07 items/individual), indicating a higher likelihood of MP ingestion in cultured prawns. In the tissues, MPs were most abundant in the gut, followed by the gills and muscles. The dominant types of MPs across all tissues were fibres, particles smaller than 0.5 mm, and black-coloured MPs. Among the identified polymers, polyvinyl stearate was the most common (40.82%), followed by polyethylene-propylene-diene (22.45%). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that green-coloured MPs were negatively correlated with cultured prawns, whereas other MP characteristics were positively correlated in both groups. The sources of MPs were similar for both cultured and captured prawns, as determined by cluster analysis. The Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), determined to 102.02, indicates potential toxicological effects on the ecosystems and human health. This study emphasises the importance of increased awareness of MP pollution and provides vital insights for governments and agencies to develop effective mitigation strategies to protect the safety and sustainability of prawn farming in Bangladesh. Microplastics Macrobrachium rosenbergii prawn capture pond culture Bangladesh Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Introduction Plastics have facilitated many daily tasks because of their unique qualities, such as durability, flexibility, light weight, affordability, softness, and transparency. Today, human life heavily relies on plastic and the growing dependence, combined with poor waste management, has become a major concern not only in Bangladesh but worldwide. Global plastic pollution is increasing daily, acting as a silent, potential threat in exposed environments. From 1950 to 2023, the total global plastic production grew 235-fold, from 1.7 to 400 million tonnes (Demirelli et al. 2024 ). It is expected to rise sharply, reaching 1.1 billion tonnes annually by 2050 (Sofield et al. 2024 ). Bangladesh, the country with the highest population density in the world, produces over 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste each day, accounting for about 8% of the country's total waste (Ferdous et al. 2023 ; Mahmud et al. 2022 ). Urban areas in Bangladesh generate 633,129 tonnes of plastic waste annually, but only 51% is recycled (Mahmud et al. 2022 ). Although plastic recycling is common globally, it remains limited in Bangladesh. The country implemented a timely ban on plastic bags in 2002, recognising the environmental dangers posed by plastic waste (Islam et al. 2022 ). Still, enforcement has been weak, making the ban largely ineffective. Microplastics (MPs) are defined as synthetic solid fragments or polymer matrices smaller than 5 mm and that are widespread in the environment (Aiguo et al. 2022 ; Issac and Kandasubramanian 2021 ; Marana et al. 2022 ; Muhib and Rahman2023; Naji et al. 2018 ; Rasta et al. 2021 ). MPs originate from the breakdown of larger plastic items such as polyethylene bags, food wrappers, cement bags, PVC pipes, fishing nets, plastic bottles, and other commonly used plastic goods (classified as secondary sources), or are produced deliberately in products like cosmetics, toothpaste, facewash, face masks, lotion, soap, clothing, and various consumer items (classified as primary sources). Furthermore, industrial wastewater discharge, illegal dumping of plastics, urban runoff, and the plastic recycling industry significantly contribute to MP pollution. In natural environments, wind and rainfall transport plastic waste into the water and sediment. Since most plastics are rather non-biodegradable, they persist for many years and gradually disintegrate into micro- or nanoplastics through physical, biological and chemical processes (Boateng et al. 2024 ; Hossain et al. 2020 , 2019 ). MPs may also release toxic substances into water, including plasticisers, flame retardants, antimicrobial agents and bisphenol A (BPA; plastic additive that improves softness, durability and water resistance) (Bošković et al. 2022; Proshad et al. 2017 ; Zakeri et al. 2020 ). MPs may absorb heavy metals, pesticides, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), leading to bioaccumulation in the food chain via aquatic organisms (Daniel et al. 2021 ; Holmes et al. 2012 ; Khalid et al. 2021 ). This bioaccumulation poses severe concerns for public health, food safety, and ecological sustainability. MP pollution has affected at least 728 fish species worldwide (Hossain and Olden 2022), underscoring the global extent of plastic contamination in marine and freshwater environments. Fish lack specific enzymes for the breakdown of synthetic polymers, leading to their accumulation in fish (Motivarash et al. 2024 ). Subsequently, fish experience significant health issues, including stress, blocked digestive systems (stomach and intestine), respiratory problems caused by clogged gills, decreased feeding, inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular and DNA damage, causing reduced nutrient absorption and growth, and increased mortality (Banaee et al. 2025 ). MPs also affect movement, hatching, reproduction, ovulation, community assembly and ecosystem function of aquatic organisms (Bhuyan 2022 ; Khan et al. 2023). For human health, MPs in foods, water and air have raised increasing concerns and are linked to cancer and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive issues, respiratory problems, digestive disorders, endocrine disturbances and inflammatory responses (Achoukhi et al. 2024 ; Khana et al. 2024 ). In Bangladesh, prawns ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) are often called "white gold" because of their significant economic value, and prawn farming has become a vital part of the national GDP, providing substantial income and employment opportunities, especially in the southwestern region (DoF 2024 ). Prawns are bottom-dwelling scavengers with an omnivorous diet that includes tiny crustaceans, debris, and both plant debris and microscopic algae (Gurjar et al. 2021 ). Since MPs may resemble food items, they might be mistakenly ingested by prawns, as observed for shrimps. In shrimps, MPs may cause reduced growth, metabolic disruptions, altered feeding behaviour, tissue damage, organ dysfunction, increased vulnerability to heavy metal exposure, reproductive problems, and higher mortality (Khanjani et al. 2025 ). In Bangladesh, the ingestion of MPs by prawns may depend on whether they inhabit natural environments or are farmed, but there are no studies to confirm this. Therefore, in this research, we examined the abundance of MPs on the gills, in the gut and in the muscles of M. rosenbergii collected from both cultured and wild sources in southwestern Bangladesh. The environmental health risks posed by the MPs were also evaluated. This study is the first to investigate the potential contamination of microplastics in the tissues of prawns in Bangladesh, providing a reference for future research. Materials and Methods Ethical approval The Institutional Ethical Committee of Patuakhali Science and Technology University approved the research and the utilisation of prawns as experimental materials (Approval No.: PSTU/IEC/2025/34). Sampling area and sampling protocol The sampling sites included Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, and Chattogram districts, which are key areas for prawn production owing to their geographic advantage along the Bay of Bengal coastline of Bangladesh (Fig. 1). These sites provide easy access to wild fry prawns and beneficial resources such as flat paddy fields, consistently warm temperatures, nutrient-rich mud, and a readily available workforce with affordable labour (Ahmed et al. 2010). A total of 48 prawns were collected from the four districts, both from cultured and captured sources, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of MPs in the prawns. The prawns were placed in zipper bags and stored in insulated iceboxes before being transported to the laboratory at Patuakhali Science and Technology University, where they were kept at -20 °C prior to MP analysis. MP extraction from prawn samples The entire procedure for extracting MPs is illustrated in Fig. 2. A previously established method to isolate MPs from prawn samples, with slight modifications to optimise the process for our study (Mondal et al. 2024), was applied. After thawing, the prawns were washed in distilled water and then measured for length and weight. The specimens were then carefully dissected to remove the gills, gut and muscles. Each organ was transferred to an individual 250 ml beaker before chemical digestion to degrade organic matter. To each beaker was added 60 ml of 1 M KOH and 30 ml 0.5% (w/v) sodium lauryl sulfate solution. The beakers were then sealed with aluminium foil and placed in a digital water bath at 50 °C for 72 hours. To ensure complete digestion, the beakers were gently swirled several times during the incubation. Next, the solutions were transferred to new beakers, and 30 ml of 30% H 2 O 2 and 6 g NaCl were added to aid in decomposing any remaining organic material. This digestion continued at room temperature for an additional 24 hours. Throughout the process, distilled water was added as needed to control excessive foaming. Finally, the content of each beaker was filtered through cellulose nitrate membrane filters (0.45 µm; Sartorius, Germany) using a vacuum pump. The filters were then transferred onto microscope slides and stored inside sterilised petri dishes until microscopic examination. Characterization and identification of MPs For identification, inspection, and characterisation of the MPs, a microscope (Labomed Inc., LB-271, USA) with a digital camera (AmScope MU500; United Scope LLC, Irvine, CA, USA) was utilised. The microscope provided various magnification levels (4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x) to evaluate the visual features of the MPs. Prior to microscopic examination, we applied 2-3 drops of immersion oil onto the filter paper. This procedure improved clarity, thus aiding in the detection of MPs on the filter paper. The abundance of MPs was assessed using a comprehensive examination under the microscope (Lots et al. 2017). Using techniques from previous studies (Cole et al. 2011; Eriksen et al. 2013; Filella 2015; Hidalgo-Ruz et al. 2012; Lusher et al. 2014; McCormick et al. 2016), we categorised the MPs by their physical features in two ways. Firstly, MPs were classified into three distinct morphological forms: fibres, fragments and particles. Then, they were grouped by size into four ranges: 5 mm. The colour of each MP was identified through direct visual inspection (naked eye). To create a permanent record and facilitate further analysis, each MP was photographed with the microscope-attached camera. The dimensions of the MPs were measured using the ImageJ software (version 2.0.0) (Hossain et al. 2024; Laglbauer et al. 2014). Quality assurance and control measures The collection, transport, storage, thawing, and dissection of prawn samples followed strict protocols to prevent contamination in both field and laboratory settings. All chemicals and distilled water were filtered through a 0.45-micrometre nitrocellulose filters before use. Work surfaces and instruments were carefully sterilised before and after use. Dissections were performed on a clean metal tray, with instruments regularly rinsed with pre-filtered distilled water. To improve safety, all personnel wore lab coats and latex gloves. The beakers with samples were covered with aluminium foil to shield against dust and airborne contaminants. Before processing a new sample, all equipment, including glassware and metal instruments, were washed three times with pre-filtered distilled water to avoid cross-contamination. The entire procedure was carried out in a laminar flow cabinet to ensure a contaminant-free air environment, reducing the risk of external contamination. Polymer identification The polymer composition of individual MPs was analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) with a Nicolet™ iS5 spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). The MPs were placed on an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessory (model iD7, Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) after collection. We employed a two-step process to determine each sample's polymer type. First, we recorded the infrared spectrum of the sample using FT-IR. Then, we compared the spectrum to a reference library (Omnic Polymer Reference Spectra library) with software to find a match with at least 80% similarity. Before analysing each sample, the ATR crystal surface was carefully cleaned with isopropanol. The ATR-FTIR spectra were acquired over a wavenumber range of 650 to 4000 cm⁻¹, with a spectral resolution of 4 cm⁻¹ and averaged over four consecutive scans. The data were processed using Spectrum™ software (version 10.4.4). Hazard analysis of the MPs To evaluate potential environmental hazards associated with the microplastics, their concentration and polymer composition were analysed. Ecological risk assessment was conducted using two distinct indicators: MP abundance and polymer type. In accordance with the framework proposed by Lithner et al. (2011), the intrinsic toxicological properties of different polymer types were included as a key factor in assessing ecological harm. The hazard scores assigned to various plastic polymers by Lithner et al. (2011) were utilised for the identified MP polymers in this study, acting as indices for estimating environmental risk, as shown in Table 2. Based on the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), MP hazards were categorised into five levels: Level I (0–1, negligible risk), Level II (1–10, moderate risk), Level III (10–100, high risk), Level IV (100–1000, hazardous), and Level V (>1000, extremely hazardous) (Lithner et al. 2011). The PHI was calculated using the following equation: PHI = ∑ Pn × Sn (1) where PHI represents the polymer hazard index for MPs, Pₙ is the percentage of a specific polymer type, and Sₙ indicates its associated hazard score. The hazard scores used in this analysis were directly sourced from Lithner et al. (2011). Statistical Analysis One-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD was conducted to compare the mean abundance of MPs within cultured and captured prawn samples (gill, gut, and muscle). Before performing the ANOVA, the Shapiro–Wilk test was used to determine whether the data followed a normal distribution, and Levene’s test assessed the homogeneity of variances. A t-test was performed between the two independent variables (cultured and captured) prawns to identify their contributions. PCA was carried out on cultured and captured prawn MPs to examine the correlations of shapes, sizes, and colours within the prawn samples, and cluster analysis was also performed. R Studio (version 4.3.1) was utilised for the complete statistical evaluation. Results Prevalence of MPs in prawns All prawn samples collected for MP identification were found to be infected with MPs. Cultured prawns from Satkhira contained the highest number of MPs (10.16±1.26 items/ind.), while prawns from Chattogram had the highest number among captured prawns (7.0±1.01 items/ind.) (Table 1). Prawns from Khulna showed the lowest MPs in both cultured (7.33±1.27 items/ind.) and captured prawns (4.66±0.67 items/ind.). In cultured prawns from Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, and Chattogram, the MP levels in different organs showed no difference (P>0.05) within gill and gut tissues, but muscle tissue from Satkhira-cultured prawns had higher MP levels compared to other regions (2.83±0.75; P0.05) (Table 1). Similar trends in organ MP levels were observed across the sampling locations. Thus, gut tissues contained higher (P<0.05) MP levels than muscle tissues in all regions for both cultured and captured prawns. Variations were also observed between gill and gut MP levels. In cultured prawns, gut MP content was higher (P0.05) were observed in other areas. Similarly, in captured prawns, gut MP levels were higher (P0.05) in the remaining regions (Table 1). When comparing the MP content in cultured and captured prawns of the same tissue type, no significant difference was found in the gill tissue. For gut tissue, cultured prawns from Khulna had significantly higher MP levels (3.83±1.60) than captured prawns (2.16±0.75) from the same region, while other gut samples showed no significant differences. For muscle tissue, cultured prawns from Satkhira contained significantly higher MP content (2.83±0.75 items/ind.) than their captured counterparts (1.17±0.72 items/ind.). This trend was not observed in any of the other muscle samples examined (Table 1). MP levels were elevated (P0.05) was recorded between gill and muscle for both cultured and captured prawns (Figs. 3A,B). The MP content varied between the captured and cultured prawns, with cultured prawns having a higher content than the captured ones (P<0.05) (Fig. 3C). Characterization of MPs in prawn In all prawn samples, three forms of MPs (fibres, fragments, and particles) were detected. In the microscopic analysis of MP across the various prawn tissues, fibres constituted the predominant morphotype, accounting for 64.41% of the total MPs, followed by fragments at 27.12% and particles at 8.47% (Fig. 4A). Analysis of the MP size distributions in prawn tissues showed that the fraction smaller than 0.5 mm was the largest, representing 54.24% of the total counts. The subsequent proportions of larger MPs were 0.5-1.0 mm (32.2%), 1.0-5.0 mm (10.45%), and over 5.0 mm (3.11%). The complete size-frequency distribution is illustrated in Fig. 4B. Regarding colour, MPs isolated from the prawn tissues displayed a distinct colour spectrum, providing insights into their possible origins and environmental fate. Black was the most commonly observed colour, making up 39.83% of the total MPs. Closely following was red MPs, which accounted for 37.85%. The high prevalence of these two colours suggests their significant contribution to the microplastic load in the studied area, possibly indicating dominant source materials or specific degradation characteristics. Besides black and red, other colours appeared in varying proportions: blue MPs at 12.99%, green MPs at 5.37%, while transparent MPs were the least common at 3.95% (Fig. 4C). The gut of cultured prawns (Cul.gut) contained the highest MP content, representing 30.23% of the total MPs, likely reflecting higher environmental exposure or ingestion rates in aquaculture environments. Conversely, the muscle tissue of captured prawns (Cap.mu) showed the lowest contamination, comprising only 7.91% of the total MPs, indicating reduced bioaccumulation in this tissue type, as shown in (Fig. 4). Chemical composition analysis of the MPs All identified MPs (morphological examples are shown in Fig. 5) were analyzed and characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy (Fig. 6). The spectral feature at 3650.106 cm⁻¹ indicates the hydrogen-bonded –OH stretch characteristic of hydroxyl functional groups. Previous studies by Fathanah et al. (2018) and Lubis et al. (2020) attributed the observed -OH stretching vibration to plasticizer compounds. The band at 2927.896 cm⁻¹ corresponds to C–H stretching vibrations, while the band at 2361.89 cm⁻¹ is attributed to the asymmetric stretching of O=C=O. These spectral features indicate the existence of ester and ether functional groups (Lubis et al., 2020; Pathak et al., 2017). The identified MPs included polyethylene:propylene: diene (PEPD), nylon II, polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl stearate (PVS), polyethylacrylate:styrene: acrylamide copolymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Among all the identified MPs, 40.82% were polyvinyl stearate (PVS), followed by 22.45% polyethylene: propylene: diene (PEPD), 15.42% nylon II, 8.16% polyethylene (PE), 5.12% polyethylacrylate:styrene: acrylamide, 5.99% polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and 2.04% polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (Table 2). Multivariate analysis Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify patterns and relationships among the characteristics of MPs isolated from prawn samples. In cultured prawn samples, the first principal component (PC1) accounted for 42.8% of the total variance, while the second principal component (PC2) explained 26.5%, together capturing 69.3% of the overall variance within the dataset (Fig. 7a). The PCA biplot showed clear groupings of MP traits based on their correlations. Transparent particles and the 0.5–1.0 mm particle class had vectors aligned in a similar direction (right and upward), indicating a strong positive correlation among these variables. In contrast, fibre, black and red colours, fragments, and the <0.5 mm size fraction displayed vectors pointing right and downward, suggesting a positive relationship among these attributes. Furthermore, the variable green colour demonstrated a significant negative correlation with blue colour MPs, as shown by their opposing vector directions in the biplot (Fig. 7A). In the captured prawn samples, PC1 explained 56.8% of the variance, while PC2 accounted for 18.3%, together representing 75.1% of the total variability (Fig. 7B). Red, black, fibre, fragment, particle, <0.5 mm, and 0.5–1.0 mm size fractions showed strong positive correlations, with vectors aligned in the PCA biplot. Fibre, black, and 0.5-1.0 mm fractions showed no correlation or a weak positive correlation with green MPs. Conversely, green MPs were negatively correlated with transparent and blue MPs, as indicated by opposing vector directions. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was observed between transparent and blue MPs (Fig. 7B). To classify sampling locations, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was applied using Ward’s method and Euclidean distance for cultured (Fig. 8A) and captured (Fig. 8B) prawn samples. A similar clustering pattern was evident for both cultured and captured prawn sampling stations, with two distinct clusters emerging: one comprising Khulna (KHU) and Bagerhat (BAG), and another including Satkhira (SAT) and Chattogram (CHA). These groupings suggest regional similarities in MP profiles across the sampling sites. Comprehensive polymer hazard assessment Table 2 displays polymer types, their percentages (Pn), hazard scores (Sn), polymer hazard indices (PHI), hazard categories, and associated risk levels. The study found that PVS (polyvinyl stearate) was the most common polymer, accounting for 40.82% of the samples, while PVC (polyvinyl chloride) had the lowest presence at 2.04%. The hazard scores for PVS, PEPD, Nylon II, and Polyethylacrylate:Styrere: Acrylamide were not classified. Among the classified polymers, PVC showed the highest hazard score (5001), whereas PET (polyethylene terephthalate) had the lowest (4). In terms of the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), PVC also recorded the highest value (102.02), with PE (polyethylene) the lowest (0.90). Although most polymers fell under hazard category I (<1, minor risk), hazard category IV (100-1000, danger risk) was also observed, mainly driven by PVC, which contributed most to this high-risk classification. Discussion This research provides the first account of the properties of MPs in the gill, gut, and muscle of cultured and captured giant freshwater prawn ( M. rosenbergii ) in Bangladesh. A concise overview of findings from previous studies on MPs pollution in prawns and shrimp worldwide is provided in Table 3. Although no studies have compared MP contents in captured and cultured prawns, some research on fish indicates higher MP concentrations in wild than in cultured fish (Cheung et al. 2018; Oliveira et al. 2020; Sultana et al. 2023). Conversely, our study found the opposite trend, with cultured prawns (8.91±1.38 items/ind.) containing significantly more MPs than captured prawns (5.88±1.07 items/ind.). The highest MPs per individual (10.16±1.26 items/ind. for cultured and 7.0±1.01 items/ind. for captured prawns) were lower than those observed in shrimp, where densities of MPs have been found to range from 18.5 ± 1.2 (capture) to 66.17±29.19 (culture) (Valencia-Castañeda et al. 2022; Vitheepradit and Prommi 2023). We observed that MP accumulation was higher in the gut than in the muscle and gill, in line with global studies on the whiteleg shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei ) from Vietnam, Mexico, and Thailand, where the gut also showed higher MP levels (My et al. 2023; Valencia-Castañeda et al. 2022; Vitheepradit and Prommi 2023). In some cases, very high numbers of MPs have been recorded in crustaceans, for example, in wild Penaeus muelleri and Fenneropenaeus indicus , where >200,000 plastic spheres were found (Table 3), but sources of the MPs were not identified (Curren et al. 2020). The shape of the MP fragments appeared to depend on the sampling location, source of the MPs, local weather patterns, and the specific sampling and analytical methods applied (Dris et al. 2015). The most common sources of synthetic fibres across aquatic habitats include domestic sewage, degradation of fishery equipment, shipping activities, and the textile industry (Browne et al. 2011; Claessens et al. 2011; Napper and Thompson 2016). In our study, fibres were the predominant shape, making up 64.41% of the MPs. This aligns with similar studies of MPs in shrimp, where fibres were also the most common MP type. The size of MPs found in crustaceans appears to be influenced by several factors, including feeding preferences, habitat, species traits, and the specific locations where animals are collected. The size category of the dominant MPs in our study (<0.5mm at 54.24%) matches those reported in previous research on prawns and shrimp (Table 3). Microplastics mainly form when macroplastic waste degrades through mechanical pressure, such as friction, but also by photochemical reactions due to UV radiation (Kuka et al. 2024). In terms of colour, black was the predominant hue among the detected MPs, accounting for 39.83% of all colours observed in the prawns. This aligns with other studies of shrimp (Abbasi et al. 2018; Gurjar et al. 2021; Hossain et al. 2020; My et al. 2023), indicating an widespread occurrence of black MPs in aquatic species. MPs exhibit a variety of colours that initially reflect their human-made origins, such as packaging, textiles, or industrial materials. The colour of MPs is not permanent, as environmental factors such as weathering, UV exposure and solar radiation can alter these colours over time, causing fading, discolouration or fragmentation (Stolte et al. 2015). Analysis of fish has shown that MPs consumed by both captured and farmed fish are strongly correlated with MPs in their surrounding environments (Ohkubo et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2019). In our study, the identified polymers across different sampling sites included PVS, PEPD, Nylon II, PE, Polyethylacrylate:Styrene:Acrylamide copolymer, Polyester Terephthalate, PET, and PVC. These polymers are commonly used in industrial and household applications due to their affordability, high efficiency and versatility (Köfteci et al. 2014). Similar to findings of MPs in North East Atlantic prawn samples, where Polystyrene (PS) was the most common polymer, our results showed a comparable variety of MPs but with polyvinyl stearate as the prevalent type (Joyce et al. 2022). The current MP chemical profile closely resembles the MP profile found in Arabian sea shrimp, which was dominated by common synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and various polyamides and polyesters (Gurjar et al. 2021). In another study, 11 different polymer types were identified in the P. australiensis freshwater shrimp from Australian waters, with rayon (22.6%) and polyester (7.5%) being the most frequently detected (Nan et al. 2020). Microplastics consist of various synthetic polymers formed when monomers join through polymerisation reactions (Andrady 2011). Exposure to sunlight and heat causes these particles to weather, releasing toxic additives (Ranjani et al. 2021). FTIR analysis in this study showed that the breakdown of microplastic polymers releases free hydroxyl groups, phenols, alcohols, carbon dioxide and alkanes. These compounds have characteristic bonds between carbon and heteroatoms such as hydrogen or oxygen. The strength of these bonds varies, creating strong or sharp vibrational interactions, as noted by Gebremaryam et al. (2025), reflecting the diverse chemical signatures of degraded MPs. MPs may be ingested by wildlife in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, leading to decreased feeding, stunted growth, reproductive decline, lower egg viability and increased larval mortality, while also entering human diets through trophic transfer (Hasan et al. 2023; Huang et al. 2023). In this study, freshwater prawns from Bangladesh's southwestern and southeastern regions showed MP contamination levels ranging from minimal (PHI <1) to potentially dangerous (PHI 100-1000). Similar polymer hazard patterns were documented in studies by Akter et al. (2024) and Mukhopadhyay and Valsalan (2024). Conclusion This study aimed to assess the level of microplastic pollution in cultured and captured prawn ( M. rosenbergii ) from various sampling regions in southern Bangladesh. Results showed that microplastics significantly contaminated both aquaculture and natural aquatic environments, with cultured prawns exhibiting a higher content of microplastics than captured prawns. Microplastics in the prawn tissues varied in colour, size, shape, and type, indicating diverse origins. Polymer analysis and toxicity tests revealed the presence of compounds posing health risks. The presence of microplastics in prawn bodies could threaten both prawn and consumer health. To combat this issue, strict measures to reduce plastic use are vital. Although the government has initiated a restriction on the use of plastics, individual responsibility remains equally important. Additionally, effective recycling programmes and wastewater treatments are key to controlling plastic pollution. A limitation of this study was the omission of water and sediment samples, which limited a complete environmental risk assessment. Future research should include these samples and expand the geographic scope for a fuller understanding of microplastic impacts. Declarations Acknowledgements We sincerely thank Sabbir Ahmed Rony and Sk. Turfan Uddin for their invaluable help with sample collection. We also greatly appreciate the cooperation of local fish farmers and fishermen. Special thanks go to the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Laboratory in Dhaka for facilitating the FTIR test. Author contributions : Md. Rafiqul Islam and Mohammad Lokman Ali were responsible for the conception and design of the study. Mohammad Lokman Ali also supervised the study and provided a critical review of a previous version of the manuscript. Sabrina Akter Rinju, Mst. Sharifa Akter Ema, Umma Habiba Rahman, and Md. Arifur Rahman participated in executing the experiment, including setup, data collection, and analysis. Md. Arifur Rahman contributed to the conceptualisation of the study. Niels O. G. Jørgensen and Md. Sazedul Hoque assisted with writing and reviewing the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Open Access ….. Funding This research received financial support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) for the project “Climate-Friendly and Climate-Resilient Prawn Farming in Bangladesh (ECOPRAWN)”, Grant No. DFC File No. 21-01-KU, under which this research work was undertaken. Data availability The data generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. References Abbasi S, Soltani N, Keshavarzi B, Moore F, Hassanaghaei M (2018) Microplastics in different tissues of fish and prawn from the Musa Estuary, Persian Gulf. Chemosphere 205:80–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.04.076 Achoukhi I, Hammoudani YE, Haboubi K, Benaabidate L, Bourjila A, El Boudammoussi M, Moudou M, Faiz H, Touzani A, Dimane F (2024) Impact of microplastics on human health and aquatic species. 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Sci Total Environ 677:493–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.04.380 Tables Table 1 The abundance of MPs in cultured (n = 24) and captured (n = 24) prawn samples from southwestern and southeastern coastal regions of Bangladesh. Location No. of MPs/individual sample Cultured Prawn Captured Prawn Gill Gut Muscle items/ind. Gill Gut Muscle items/ind. Bagerhat 2.33 ± 1.21 A,b,x 4.5 ± 1.05 A,a,x 1.33 ± 0.52 B,b,x 8.16 ± 1.62 1.17 ± 0.75 A,b,x 3.17 ± 1.16 A,a,x 1.0 ± 0.89 A,b,x 5.34 ± 1.21 Khulna 2.17 ± 1.70 A,ab,x 3.83 ± 1.60 A,a,x 1.33 ± 1.03 B,b,x 7.33 ± 1.27 1.67 ± 0.82 A,ab,x 2.16 ± 0.75 A,a,y 0.83 ± 0.75 A,b,x 4.66 ± 0.67 Satkhira 2.5 ± 1.05 A,b,x 4.83 ± 1.47 A,a,x 2.83 ± 0.75 A,b,x 10.16 ± 1.26 2.0 ± 1.55 A,ab,x 3.33 ± 1.63 A,a,x 1.17 ± 0.72 A,b,y 6.5 ± 1.09 Chattogram 3.17 ± 1.72 A,ab,x 4.67 ± 1.5 A,a,x 2.15 ± 0.7 AB,b,x 9.99 ± 1.27 1.83 ± 0.75 A,b,x 3.5 ± 1.05 A,a,x 1.67 ± 0.82 A,b,x 7.0 ± 1.01 N.B.: *Different superscript small letters (a, b..) in each row indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) among different tissue types for the same cultured and captured prawns. Different superscript capital letters (A, B…) in each column indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) among different locations (spatial) for the same source and tissue. Different superscripts (x, y…) in each row indicate significant differences (p < 0.05, T-test) between cultured and captured prawns for the same tissue type (gill, gut, and muscle). Table 2 Compositional analysis of microplastic polymers and their estimated risk implications. Polymer type Percentage (%) (Pn) Hazard score (Sn) Polymer hazard index (PHI) Hazard category Risk level Polyvinyl stearate (PVS) 40.82 Nc - - - Polyethylene: propylene: diene (PEPD) 22.45 Nc - - - Nylon II 15.42 Nc - - - Polyethylene (PE) 8.16 11 0.90 Ⅰ (< 1) Negligible Polyethylacrylate:ST: Acrylamide 5.12 Nc - - - Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 5.99 4 0.24 Ⅰ (< 1) Negligible Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 2.04 5001 102.02 IV (100–1000) Hazardous N.B.: *Nc = Not classified Table 3 Literature-reported microplastic levels across aquatic species . SL Species Location Sample type MPs (Items/individual) Dominant Size Dominant Type Dominant color References 01 Penaeus indicus (W) Persian Gulf Total 21.8 100–250µm Filamentous fragments Black-grey Abbasi et al. ( 2018 ) Gill 7.00 Gut 2.25 Ex. 6.83 Liver 1.08 Muscle 4.58 02 Litopenaeus vannamei (U) Malaysia Total 473 Film Curren et al. ( 2020 ) L. vannamei (U) Ecuador 387.5 Film Transparent P. muelleri (U) Atlantic Ocean 391,189 (mean) 10–20µm Spheres Opaque Fenneropenaeus indicus (U) Indian Ocean 209,097 (mean) Spheres 03 Penaeus indicus (U) Northeastern Arabian Sea Total 7.40 ± 2.60 100–250µm Fibre Black Gurjar et al. ( 2021 ) 04 Metapenaeus monocerous (W) Northern Bay of Bengal Total 7.80 ± 2 500µm-1mm Particle Black Hossain et al. ( 2020 ) Penaeus monodon (W) 6.60 ± 2 1.0-5.0mm Fibre Black 05 Macrobrachium rosenbergii (W) Thailand Total 11.24 ± 1.74 > 1.0mm Fibre Blue Jitkaew et al. (2023) Intestine 2.94 ± 0.77 Stomach 3.00 ± 0.73 Tissue 5.29 ± 0.93 06 Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Female) (C) Thailand GT 33.31 ± 19.42 500–1000 µm Fibre White/Transparent (Reunura and Prommi, 2022) Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Male) (C) GT 33.43 ± 19.07 07 Litopenaeus (C) vannamei Cau Hai Lagoon, Central Vietnam Whole 8.6 ± 3.5 Fibre Black-grey My et al. ( 2023 ) GT 6.3 ± 1.4 100–250µm Tissue 2.3 ± 0.4 < 100 µm 08 Litopenaeus vannamei (W) Northwestern Mexico Whole 18.5 ± 1.2 < 2000 µm Fibre Transparent Valencia-Castañeda et al. 2022 ) GT 7.6 ± 0.6 Gills 6.3 ± 0.9 Ex. 4.3 ± 0.9 09 Litopenaeus vannamei (C) Thailand Total 66.17 ± 29.19 500 µm Fragments Blue (Vitheepradit and Prommi, 2023 ) GT 27.36 ± 2.28 HEP 17.42 ± 0.90 Muscle 11.37 ± 0.60 Ex. 10.04 ± 0.52 10 Litopenaeus vannamei (C) China Intestine 6.32 ± 2.40 < 0.5 Fibers Blue Yan et al. (2021) SL = Serial; GT = gastrointestinal tract; Ex. = exoskeleton; HEP = hepatopancreas; C=Cultured samples; W=Captured samples; U = unknown origin (information not provided in the publication). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Rafiqul Islam","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Md.","middleName":"Rafiqul","lastName":"Islam","suffix":""},{"id":589213774,"identity":"a68c30c1-e340-430a-9d4c-a54cc82f376d","order_by":1,"name":"Mohammad Lokman Ali","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohammad","middleName":"Lokman","lastName":"Ali","suffix":""},{"id":589213775,"identity":"672d6a42-afad-4847-ac3c-6bdc034a6353","order_by":2,"name":"Sabrina Akter Rinju","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sabrina","middleName":"Akter","lastName":"Rinju","suffix":""},{"id":589213776,"identity":"8ee02d08-44a5-49ab-b4c4-47e8398777ca","order_by":3,"name":"Mst. Sharifa Akter Ema","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mst.","middleName":"Sharifa Akter","lastName":"Ema","suffix":""},{"id":589213777,"identity":"9ab39f3c-0fa1-4077-b2ba-1e6306f76ad0","order_by":4,"name":"Umma Habiba Rahman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Umma","middleName":"Habiba","lastName":"Rahman","suffix":""},{"id":589213778,"identity":"4167de12-8a61-4082-b3e8-c7f0bd455f98","order_by":5,"name":"Md. Arifu Rahman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Md.","middleName":"Arifu","lastName":"Rahman","suffix":""},{"id":589213780,"identity":"11ec21af-fcc5-4396-86fe-cd9c3ec2646b","order_by":6,"name":"Badhan Saha","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Badhan","middleName":"","lastName":"Saha","suffix":""},{"id":589213782,"identity":"8f93a8c7-5db0-488d-8920-a992a7e29bca","order_by":7,"name":"Md.Sazedul Hoque","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Patuakhali Science and Technology University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Md.Sazedul","middleName":"","lastName":"Hoque","suffix":""},{"id":589213784,"identity":"85fc06aa-71a4-46a5-8008-4873814dbd8a","order_by":8,"name":"Niels O. G. Jørgensen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJACgw8MFkCKDYQTiNNiOINBgkQtzDwkaTFnb79QbLtDQs6cgS1NgqEsjbAWy54zBca5ZySMLRvYjkkwnMshrMXgRk6CcW6bROKGA+xtEoxtFURqsWyTqCdFS/oBY8Y2iQSDA0CHMbYR47AzZxgMe89IGG44zJZskXCOCO8bHG9/ZvBzh428wfE2wxsfypIJa2Fg4DEzYGwA0sxAnECMBgYG9scPwFpGwSgYBaNgFOACAAeRNfFov0jhAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of Copenhagen","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Niels","middleName":"O. G.","lastName":"Jørgensen","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-30 16:24:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8743264/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8743264/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102526396,"identity":"e42a62af-a1d6-4dd8-8fa0-34697478acb4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 15:35:45","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":425484,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/b8d2310166acde4a8dc98210.png"},{"id":102526392,"identity":"ea24c6c8-b6ae-4f86-99c5-aa8890a85bcb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 15:35:45","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":362865,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/793aa06bea89fdb641683873.png"},{"id":102526394,"identity":"191079af-bf71-4ad5-aaa7-0e4fd3d0cae2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 15:35:45","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":92647,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/5461836e7e33beb96f165211.png"},{"id":102526395,"identity":"67bca4f1-5856-4df6-9917-bb17e5ef00e2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 15:35:45","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":296340,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/fe34d37b5d56356009432567.png"},{"id":102746085,"identity":"473ce5db-8853-4a59-84db-b778753641a2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-16 08:55:37","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":751024,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/323dcf33ac9ce35b0c3b5cb9.png"},{"id":102747471,"identity":"3f0394fe-4894-4bb6-9b59-dde6f0496237","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-16 09:04:50","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":181487,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/f4a36196b037f92b1219730b.png"},{"id":102526398,"identity":"dc3322c9-1c9b-4290-b172-e567094cea41","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 15:35:45","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":78068,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/46d22359a5846f3c709befbc.png"},{"id":102526400,"identity":"f68f9f3e-6eed-4a2d-9e29-4e7854ee171e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 15:35:46","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":29701,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/a4844a04ce6413ca6146248e.png"},{"id":102750805,"identity":"dd9ccde5-6b4a-4512-aea4-ccfd993f5a47","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-16 09:22:19","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3141351,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8743264/v1/9ffe0733-557d-4548-acf0-c28a45ec2cce.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Microplastics in farmed and wild Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Diverse Aquatic Environments in Bangladesh","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003ePlastics have facilitated many daily tasks because of their unique qualities, such as durability, flexibility, light weight, affordability, softness, and transparency. Today, human life heavily relies on plastic and the growing dependence, combined with poor waste management, has become a major concern not only in Bangladesh but worldwide. Global plastic pollution is increasing daily, acting as a silent, potential threat in exposed environments. From 1950 to 2023, the total global plastic production grew 235-fold, from 1.7 to 400\u0026nbsp;million tonnes (Demirelli et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). It is expected to rise sharply, reaching 1.1\u0026nbsp;billion tonnes annually by 2050 (Sofield et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR67\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Bangladesh, the country with the highest population density in the world, produces over 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste each day, accounting for about 8% of the country's total waste (Ferdous et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Mahmud et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Urban areas in Bangladesh generate 633,129 tonnes of plastic waste annually, but only 51% is recycled (Mahmud et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Although plastic recycling is common globally, it remains limited in Bangladesh. The country implemented a timely ban on plastic bags in 2002, recognising the environmental dangers posed by plastic waste (Islam et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Still, enforcement has been weak, making the ban largely ineffective.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMicroplastics (MPs) are defined as synthetic solid fragments or polymer matrices smaller than 5 mm and that are widespread in the environment (Aiguo et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Issac and Kandasubramanian \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Marana et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Muhib and Rahman2023; Naji et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Rasta et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). MPs originate from the breakdown of larger plastic items such as polyethylene bags, food wrappers, cement bags, PVC pipes, fishing nets, plastic bottles, and other commonly used plastic goods (classified as secondary sources), or are produced deliberately in products like cosmetics, toothpaste, facewash, face masks, lotion, soap, clothing, and various consumer items (classified as primary sources). Furthermore, industrial wastewater discharge, illegal dumping of plastics, urban runoff, and the plastic recycling industry significantly contribute to MP pollution.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn natural environments, wind and rainfall transport plastic waste into the water and sediment. Since most plastics are rather non-biodegradable, they persist for many years and gradually disintegrate into micro- or nanoplastics through physical, biological and chemical processes (Boateng et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Hossain et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). MPs may also release toxic substances into water, including plasticisers, flame retardants, antimicrobial agents and bisphenol A (BPA; plastic additive that improves softness, durability and water resistance) (Bošković et al. 2022; Proshad et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Zakeri et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR74\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). MPs may absorb heavy metals, pesticides, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), leading to bioaccumulation in the food chain via aquatic organisms (Daniel et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Holmes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Khalid et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This bioaccumulation poses severe concerns for public health, food safety, and ecological sustainability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMP pollution has affected at least 728 fish species worldwide (Hossain and Olden 2022), underscoring the global extent of plastic contamination in marine and freshwater environments. Fish lack specific enzymes for the breakdown of synthetic polymers, leading to their accumulation in fish (Motivarash et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Subsequently, fish experience significant health issues, including stress, blocked digestive systems (stomach and intestine), respiratory problems caused by clogged gills, decreased feeding, inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular and DNA damage, causing reduced nutrient absorption and growth, and increased mortality (Banaee et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). MPs also affect movement, hatching, reproduction, ovulation, community assembly and ecosystem function of aquatic organisms (Bhuyan \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Khan et al. 2023). For human health, MPs in foods, water and air have raised increasing concerns and are linked to cancer and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive issues, respiratory problems, digestive disorders, endocrine disturbances and inflammatory responses (Achoukhi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Khana et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Bangladesh, prawns (\u003cem\u003eMacrobrachium rosenbergii\u003c/em\u003e) are often called \"white gold\" because of their significant economic value, and prawn farming has become a vital part of the national GDP, providing substantial income and employment opportunities, especially in the southwestern region (DoF \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Prawns are bottom-dwelling scavengers with an omnivorous diet that includes tiny crustaceans, debris, and both plant debris and microscopic algae (Gurjar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Since MPs may resemble food items, they might be mistakenly ingested by prawns, as observed for shrimps. In shrimps, MPs may cause reduced growth, metabolic disruptions, altered feeding behaviour, tissue damage, organ dysfunction, increased vulnerability to heavy metal exposure, reproductive problems, and higher mortality (Khanjani et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Bangladesh, the ingestion of MPs by prawns may depend on whether they inhabit natural environments or are farmed, but there are no studies to confirm this. Therefore, in this research, we examined the abundance of MPs on the gills, in the gut and in the muscles of \u003cem\u003eM. rosenbergii\u003c/em\u003e collected from both cultured and wild sources in southwestern Bangladesh. The environmental health risks posed by the MPs were also evaluated. This study is the first to investigate the potential contamination of microplastics in the tissues of prawns in Bangladesh, providing a reference for future research.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Institutional Ethical Committee of Patuakhali Science and Technology University approved the research and the utilisation of prawns as experimental materials (Approval No.: PSTU/IEC/2025/34).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSampling area and sampling protocol\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sampling sites included Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, and Chattogram districts, which are key areas for prawn production owing to their geographic advantage along the Bay of Bengal coastline of Bangladesh (Fig. 1). These sites provide easy access to wild fry prawns and beneficial resources such as flat paddy fields, consistently warm temperatures, nutrient-rich mud, and a readily available workforce with affordable labour (Ahmed et al. 2010). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA total of 48 prawns were collected from the four districts, both from cultured and captured sources, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of MPs in the prawns. The prawns were placed in zipper bags and stored in insulated iceboxes before being transported to the laboratory at Patuakhali Science and Technology University, where they were kept at -20 \u0026deg;C prior to MP analysis.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMP extraction from prawn samples\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe entire procedure for extracting MPs is illustrated in Fig. 2. A previously established method to isolate MPs from prawn samples, with slight modifications to optimise the process for our study (Mondal et al. 2024), was applied. After thawing, the prawns were washed in distilled water and then measured for length and weight. The specimens were then carefully dissected to remove the gills, gut and muscles. Each organ was transferred to an individual 250 ml beaker before chemical digestion to degrade organic matter. To each beaker was added 60 ml of 1 M KOH and 30 ml 0.5% (w/v) sodium lauryl sulfate solution. The beakers were then sealed with aluminium foil and placed in a digital water bath at 50 \u0026deg;C for 72 hours. To ensure complete digestion, the beakers were gently swirled several times during the incubation. Next, the solutions were transferred to new beakers, and 30 ml of 30% H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and 6 g NaCl were added to aid in decomposing any remaining organic material. This digestion continued at room temperature for an additional 24 hours. Throughout the process, distilled water was added as needed to control excessive foaming. Finally, the content of each beaker was filtered through cellulose nitrate membrane filters (0.45 \u0026micro;m; Sartorius, Germany) using a vacuum pump. The filters were then transferred onto microscope slides and stored inside sterilised petri dishes until microscopic examination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharacterization and identification of MPs\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor identification, inspection, and characterisation of the MPs, a microscope (Labomed Inc., LB-271, USA) with a digital camera (AmScope MU500; United Scope LLC, Irvine, CA, USA) was utilised. The microscope provided various magnification levels (4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x) to evaluate the visual features of the MPs. Prior to microscopic examination, we applied 2-3 drops of immersion oil onto the filter paper. This procedure improved clarity, thus aiding in the detection of MPs on the filter paper. The abundance of MPs was assessed using a comprehensive examination under the microscope (Lots et al. 2017). Using techniques from previous studies (Cole et al. 2011; Eriksen et al. 2013; Filella 2015; Hidalgo-Ruz et al. 2012; Lusher et al. 2014; McCormick et al. 2016), we categorised the MPs by their physical features in two ways. Firstly, MPs were classified into three distinct morphological forms: fibres, fragments and particles. Then, they were grouped by size into four ranges: \u0026lt; 0.5 mm, 0.5 to 1.0 mm, 1.0 to 5.0 mm and \u0026gt; 5 mm. The colour of each MP was identified through direct visual inspection (naked eye). To create a permanent record and facilitate further analysis, each MP was photographed with the microscope-attached camera. The dimensions of the MPs were measured using the ImageJ software (version 2.0.0) (Hossain et al. 2024; Laglbauer et al. 2014).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuality assurance and control measures\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection, transport, storage, thawing, and dissection of prawn samples followed strict protocols to prevent contamination in both field and laboratory settings. All chemicals and distilled water were filtered through a 0.45-micrometre nitrocellulose filters before use. Work surfaces and instruments were carefully sterilised before and after use. Dissections were performed on a clean metal tray, with instruments regularly rinsed with pre-filtered distilled water. To improve safety, all personnel wore lab coats and latex gloves. The beakers with samples were covered with aluminium foil to shield against dust and airborne contaminants. Before processing a new sample, all equipment, including glassware and metal instruments, were washed three times with pre-filtered distilled water to avoid cross-contamination. The entire procedure was carried out in a laminar flow cabinet to ensure a contaminant-free air environment, reducing the risk of external contamination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePolymer identification\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe polymer composition of individual MPs was analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) with a Nicolet\u0026trade; iS5 spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). The MPs were placed on an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessory (model iD7, Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) after collection. We employed a two-step process to determine each sample\u0026apos;s polymer type. First, we recorded the infrared spectrum of the sample using FT-IR. Then, we compared the spectrum to a reference library (Omnic Polymer Reference Spectra library) with software to find a match with at least 80% similarity. Before analysing each sample, the ATR crystal surface was carefully cleaned with isopropanol. The ATR-FTIR spectra were acquired over a wavenumber range of 650 to 4000 cm⁻\u0026sup1;, with a spectral resolution of 4 cm⁻\u0026sup1; and averaged over four consecutive scans. The data were processed using Spectrum\u0026trade; software (version 10.4.4).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHazard analysis of the MPs \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo evaluate potential environmental hazards associated with the microplastics, their concentration and polymer composition were analysed. Ecological risk assessment was conducted using two distinct indicators: MP abundance and polymer type. In accordance with the framework proposed by Lithner et al. (2011), the intrinsic toxicological properties of different polymer types were included as a key factor in assessing ecological harm. The hazard scores assigned to various plastic polymers by Lithner et al. (2011) were utilised for the identified MP polymers in this study, acting as indices for estimating environmental risk, as shown in Table 2. Based on the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), MP hazards were categorised into five levels: Level I (0\u0026ndash;1, negligible risk), Level II (1\u0026ndash;10, moderate risk), Level III (10\u0026ndash;100, high risk), Level IV (100\u0026ndash;1000, hazardous), and Level V (\u0026gt;1000, extremely hazardous) (Lithner et al. 2011). The PHI was calculated using the following equation:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePHI = \u0026sum; Pn \u0026times; Sn \u0026nbsp;(1)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere PHI represents the polymer hazard index for MPs, Pₙ is the percentage of a specific polymer type, and Sₙ indicates its associated hazard score. The hazard scores used in this analysis were directly sourced from Lithner et al. (2011).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD was conducted to compare the mean abundance of MPs within cultured and captured prawn samples (gill, gut, and muscle). Before performing the ANOVA, the Shapiro\u0026ndash;Wilk test was used to determine whether the data followed a normal distribution, and Levene\u0026rsquo;s test assessed the homogeneity of variances. A t-test was performed between the two independent variables (cultured and captured) prawns to identify their contributions. PCA was carried out on cultured and captured prawn MPs to examine the correlations of shapes, sizes, and colours within the prawn samples, and cluster analysis was also performed. R Studio (version 4.3.1) was utilised for the complete statistical evaluation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrevalence of MPs in prawns\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll prawn samples collected for MP identification were found to be infected with MPs. Cultured prawns from Satkhira contained the highest number of MPs (10.16\u0026plusmn;1.26 items/ind.), while prawns from Chattogram had the highest number among captured prawns (7.0\u0026plusmn;1.01 items/ind.) (Table 1). Prawns from Khulna showed the lowest MPs in both cultured (7.33\u0026plusmn;1.27 items/ind.) and captured prawns (4.66\u0026plusmn;0.67 items/ind.). In cultured prawns from Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, and Chattogram, the MP levels in different organs showed no difference (P\u0026gt;0.05) within gill and gut tissues, but muscle tissue from Satkhira-cultured prawns had higher MP levels compared to other regions (2.83\u0026plusmn;0.75; P\u0026lt;0.05). In contrast, captured prawns had no significant variation in MP content across gill, gut, and muscle tissues (P\u0026gt;0.05) (Table 1). Similar trends in organ MP levels were observed across the sampling locations. Thus, gut tissues contained higher (P\u0026lt;0.05) MP levels than muscle tissues in all regions for both cultured and captured prawns. Variations were also observed between gill and gut MP levels. In cultured prawns, gut MP content was higher (P\u0026lt;0.05) than in the gills from Bagerhat and Satkhira, whereas no differences (P\u0026gt;0.05) were observed in other areas. Similarly, in captured prawns, gut MP levels were higher (P\u0026lt;0.05) than in the gills from Bagerhat and Chattogram, with no differences (P\u0026gt;0.05) in the remaining regions (Table 1).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen comparing the MP content in cultured and captured prawns of the same tissue type, no significant difference was found in the gill tissue. For gut tissue, cultured prawns from Khulna had significantly higher MP levels (3.83\u0026plusmn;1.60) than captured prawns (2.16\u0026plusmn;0.75) from the same region, while other gut samples showed no significant differences. For muscle tissue, cultured prawns from Satkhira contained significantly higher MP content (2.83\u0026plusmn;0.75 items/ind.) than their captured counterparts (1.17\u0026plusmn;0.72 items/ind.). This trend was not observed in any of the other muscle samples examined (Table 1). MP levels were elevated (P\u0026lt;0.05) in the gut compared to gills and muscles, whereas no difference (P\u0026gt;0.05) was recorded between gill and muscle for both cultured and captured prawns (Figs. 3A,B). The MP content varied between the captured and cultured prawns, with cultured prawns having a higher content than the captured ones (P\u0026lt;0.05) (Fig. 3C).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCharacterization of MPs in prawn\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn all prawn samples, three forms of MPs (fibres, fragments, and particles) were detected. In the microscopic analysis of MP across the various prawn tissues, fibres constituted the predominant morphotype, accounting for 64.41% of the total MPs, followed by fragments at 27.12% and particles at 8.47% (Fig. 4A). Analysis of the MP size distributions in prawn tissues showed that the fraction smaller than 0.5 mm was the largest, representing 54.24% of the total counts. The subsequent proportions of larger MPs were 0.5-1.0 mm (32.2%), 1.0-5.0 mm (10.45%), and over 5.0 mm (3.11%). The complete size-frequency distribution is illustrated in Fig. 4B.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding colour, MPs isolated from the prawn tissues displayed a distinct colour spectrum, providing insights into their possible origins and environmental fate. Black was the most commonly observed colour, making up 39.83% of the total MPs. Closely following was red MPs, which accounted for 37.85%. The high prevalence of these two colours suggests their significant contribution to the microplastic load in the studied area, possibly indicating dominant source materials or specific degradation characteristics. Besides black and red, other colours appeared in varying proportions: blue MPs at 12.99%, green MPs at 5.37%, while transparent MPs were the least common at 3.95% (Fig. 4C). The gut of cultured prawns (Cul.gut) contained the highest MP content, representing 30.23% of the total MPs, likely reflecting higher environmental exposure or ingestion rates in aquaculture environments. Conversely, the muscle tissue of captured prawns (Cap.mu) showed the lowest contamination, comprising only 7.91% of the total MPs, indicating reduced bioaccumulation in this tissue type, as shown in (Fig. 4).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChemical composition analysis of\u0026nbsp;the MPs\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll identified MPs (morphological examples are shown in Fig. 5) were analyzed and characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy (Fig. 6). The spectral feature at 3650.106 cm⁻\u0026sup1; indicates the hydrogen-bonded \u0026ndash;OH stretch characteristic of hydroxyl functional groups. Previous studies by Fathanah et al. (2018) and Lubis et al. (2020) attributed the observed -OH stretching vibration to plasticizer compounds. The band at 2927.896 cm⁻\u0026sup1; corresponds to C\u0026ndash;H stretching vibrations, while the band at 2361.89 cm⁻\u0026sup1; is attributed to the asymmetric stretching of O=C=O. These spectral features indicate the existence of ester and ether functional groups (Lubis et al., 2020; Pathak et al., 2017). The identified MPs included polyethylene:propylene:\u0026nbsp;diene (PEPD), nylon II, polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl stearate (PVS),\u0026nbsp;polyethylacrylate:styrene: acrylamide copolymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Among all the identified MPs, 40.82% were polyvinyl stearate (PVS), followed by 22.45% polyethylene: propylene: diene (PEPD), 15.42% nylon II, 8.16% polyethylene (PE), 5.12% polyethylacrylate:styrene: acrylamide, 5.99% polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and 2.04% polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (Table 2).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMultivariate analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrincipal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify patterns and relationships among the characteristics of MPs isolated from prawn samples. In cultured prawn samples, the first principal component (PC1) accounted for 42.8% of the total variance, while the second principal component (PC2) explained 26.5%, together capturing 69.3% of the overall variance within the dataset (Fig. 7a). The PCA biplot showed clear groupings of MP traits based on their correlations. Transparent particles and the 0.5\u0026ndash;1.0 mm particle class had vectors aligned in a similar direction (right and upward), indicating a strong positive correlation among these variables. In contrast, fibre, black and red colours, fragments, and the \u0026lt;0.5 mm size fraction displayed vectors pointing right and downward, suggesting a positive relationship among these attributes. Furthermore, the variable green colour demonstrated a significant negative correlation with blue colour MPs, as shown by their opposing vector directions in the biplot (Fig. 7A).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the captured prawn samples, PC1 explained 56.8% of the variance, while PC2 accounted for 18.3%, together representing 75.1% of the total variability (Fig. 7B). Red, black, fibre, fragment, particle, \u0026lt;0.5 mm, and 0.5\u0026ndash;1.0 mm size fractions showed strong positive correlations, with vectors aligned in the PCA biplot. Fibre, black, and 0.5-1.0 mm fractions showed no correlation or a weak positive correlation with green MPs. Conversely, green MPs were negatively correlated with transparent and blue MPs, as indicated by opposing vector directions. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was observed between transparent and blue MPs (Fig. 7B). To classify sampling locations, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was applied using Ward\u0026rsquo;s method and Euclidean distance for cultured (Fig. 8A) and captured (Fig. 8B) prawn samples. A similar clustering pattern was evident for both cultured and captured prawn sampling stations, with two distinct clusters emerging: one comprising Khulna (KHU) and Bagerhat (BAG), and another including Satkhira (SAT) and Chattogram (CHA). These groupings suggest regional similarities in MP profiles across the sampling sites.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComprehensive polymer hazard assessment\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2 displays polymer types, their percentages (Pn), hazard scores (Sn), polymer hazard indices (PHI), hazard categories, and associated risk levels. The study found that PVS (polyvinyl stearate) was the most common polymer, accounting for 40.82% of the samples, while PVC (polyvinyl chloride) had the lowest presence at 2.04%. The hazard scores for PVS, PEPD, Nylon II, and Polyethylacrylate:Styrere: Acrylamide were not classified. Among the classified polymers, PVC showed the highest hazard score (5001), whereas PET (polyethylene terephthalate) had the lowest (4). In terms of the Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), PVC also recorded the highest value (102.02), with PE (polyethylene) the lowest (0.90). Although most polymers fell under hazard category I (\u0026lt;1, minor risk), hazard category IV (100-1000, danger risk) was also observed, mainly driven by PVC, which contributed most to this high-risk classification.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis research provides the first account of the properties of MPs in the gill, gut, and muscle of cultured and captured giant freshwater prawn (\u003cem\u003eM. rosenbergii\u003c/em\u003e) in Bangladesh. A concise overview of findings from previous studies on MPs pollution in prawns and shrimp worldwide is provided in Table 3. Although no studies have compared MP contents in captured and cultured prawns, some research on fish indicates higher MP concentrations in wild than in cultured fish (Cheung et al. 2018; Oliveira et al. 2020; Sultana et al. 2023). Conversely, our study found the opposite trend, with cultured prawns (8.91\u0026plusmn;1.38 items/ind.) containing significantly more MPs than captured prawns (5.88\u0026plusmn;1.07 items/ind.). The highest MPs per individual (10.16\u0026plusmn;1.26 items/ind. for cultured and 7.0\u0026plusmn;1.01 items/ind. for captured prawns) were lower than those observed in shrimp, where densities of MPs have been found to range from 18.5 \u0026plusmn; 1.2 (capture) to 66.17\u0026plusmn;29.19 (culture) (Valencia-Casta\u0026ntilde;eda et al. 2022; Vitheepradit and Prommi 2023). We observed that MP accumulation was higher in the gut than in\u0026nbsp;the muscle and gill, in line with global studies on the whiteleg shrimp (\u003cem\u003eLitopenaeus vannamei\u003c/em\u003e) from Vietnam, Mexico, and Thailand, where the gut also showed higher MP levels (My et al. 2023; Valencia-Casta\u0026ntilde;eda et al. 2022; Vitheepradit and Prommi 2023). In some cases, very high numbers of MPs have been recorded in crustaceans, for example, in wild \u003cem\u003ePenaeus\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;muelleri\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eFenneropenaeus indicus\u003c/em\u003e, where \u0026gt;200,000 plastic spheres were found (Table 3), but sources of the MPs were not identified (Curren et al. 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shape of the MP fragments appeared to depend on the sampling location, source of the MPs, local weather patterns, and the specific sampling and analytical methods applied (Dris et al. 2015). The most common sources of synthetic fibres across aquatic habitats include domestic sewage, degradation of fishery equipment, shipping activities, and the textile industry (Browne et al. 2011; Claessens et al. 2011; Napper and Thompson 2016). In our study, fibres were the predominant shape, making up 64.41% of the MPs. This aligns with similar studies of MPs in shrimp, where fibres were also the most common MP type. The size of MPs found in crustaceans appears to be influenced by several factors, including feeding preferences, habitat, species traits, and the specific locations where animals are collected. The size category of the dominant MPs in our study (\u0026lt;0.5mm at 54.24%) matches those reported in previous research on prawns and shrimp (Table 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMicroplastics mainly form when macroplastic waste degrades through mechanical pressure, such as friction, but also by photochemical reactions due to UV radiation (Kuka et al. 2024). In terms of colour, black was the predominant hue among the detected MPs, accounting for 39.83% of all colours observed in the prawns. This aligns with other studies of shrimp (Abbasi et al. 2018; Gurjar et al. 2021; Hossain et al. 2020; My et al. 2023), indicating an widespread occurrence of black MPs in aquatic species. MPs exhibit a variety of colours that initially reflect their human-made origins, such as packaging, textiles, or industrial materials. The colour of MPs is not permanent, as environmental factors such as weathering, UV exposure and solar radiation can alter these colours over time, causing fading, discolouration or fragmentation (Stolte et al. 2015).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnalysis of fish has shown that MPs consumed by both captured and farmed fish are strongly correlated with MPs in their surrounding environments (Ohkubo et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2019). In our study, the identified polymers across different sampling sites included PVS, PEPD, Nylon II, PE, Polyethylacrylate:Styrene:Acrylamide copolymer, Polyester Terephthalate, PET, and PVC. These polymers are commonly used in industrial and household applications due to their affordability, high efficiency and versatility (K\u0026ouml;fteci et al. 2014). Similar to findings of MPs in North East Atlantic prawn samples, where Polystyrene (PS) was the most common polymer, our results showed a comparable variety of MPs but with polyvinyl stearate as the prevalent type (Joyce et al. 2022). The current MP chemical profile closely resembles the MP profile found in Arabian sea shrimp, which was dominated by common synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and various polyamides and polyesters (Gurjar et al. 2021). In another study, 11 different polymer types were identified in the \u003cem\u003eP. australiensis\u003c/em\u003e freshwater shrimp from Australian waters, with rayon (22.6%) and polyester (7.5%) being the most frequently detected (Nan et al. 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMicroplastics consist of various synthetic polymers formed when monomers join through polymerisation reactions (Andrady 2011). Exposure to sunlight and heat causes these particles to weather, releasing toxic additives (Ranjani et al. 2021). FTIR analysis in this study showed that the breakdown of microplastic polymers releases free hydroxyl groups, phenols, alcohols, carbon dioxide and alkanes. These compounds have characteristic bonds between carbon and heteroatoms such as hydrogen or oxygen. The strength of these bonds varies, creating strong or sharp vibrational interactions, as noted by Gebremaryam et al. (2025), reflecting the diverse chemical signatures of degraded MPs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMPs may be ingested by wildlife in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, leading to decreased feeding, stunted growth, reproductive decline, lower egg viability and increased larval mortality, while also entering human diets through trophic transfer (Hasan et al. 2023; Huang et al. 2023). In this study, freshwater prawns from Bangladesh\u0026apos;s southwestern and southeastern regions showed MP contamination levels ranging from minimal (PHI \u0026lt;1) to potentially dangerous (PHI 100-1000). Similar polymer hazard patterns were documented in studies by Akter et al. (2024) and Mukhopadhyay and Valsalan (2024).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to assess the level of microplastic pollution in cultured and captured prawn (\u003cem\u003eM. rosenbergii\u003c/em\u003e) from various sampling regions in southern Bangladesh. Results showed that microplastics significantly contaminated both aquaculture and natural aquatic environments, with cultured prawns exhibiting a higher content of microplastics than captured prawns. Microplastics in the prawn tissues varied in colour, size, shape, and type, indicating diverse origins. Polymer analysis and toxicity tests revealed the presence of compounds posing health risks. The presence of microplastics in prawn bodies could threaten both prawn and consumer health. To combat this issue, strict measures to reduce plastic use are vital. Although the government has initiated a restriction on the use of plastics, individual responsibility remains equally important. Additionally, effective recycling programmes and wastewater treatments are key to controlling plastic pollution. A limitation of this study was the omission of water and sediment samples, which limited a complete environmental risk assessment. Future research should include these samples and expand the geographic scope for a fuller understanding of microplastic impacts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sincerely thank Sabbir Ahmed Rony\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Sk. Turfan Uddin\u0026nbsp;for their invaluable help with sample collection. We also greatly appreciate the cooperation of\u0026nbsp;local fish farmers and fishermen. Special thanks go to the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Laboratory in Dhaka for facilitating the FTIR test.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMd. Rafiqul Islam and Mohammad Lokman Ali were responsible for the conception and design of the study. Mohammad Lokman Ali also supervised the study and provided a critical review of a previous version of the manuscript. Sabrina Akter Rinju, Mst. Sharifa Akter Ema, Umma Habiba Rahman, and Md. Arifur Rahman participated in executing the experiment, including setup, data collection, and analysis. Md. Arifur Rahman contributed to the conceptualisation of the study. Niels O. G. J\u0026oslash;rgensen and Md. Sazedul Hoque assisted with writing and reviewing the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpen Access\u003c/strong\u003e \u0026hellip;..\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e This research received financial support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) for the project \u0026ldquo;Climate-Friendly and Climate-Resilient Prawn Farming in Bangladesh (ECOPRAWN)\u0026rdquo;, Grant No. DFC File No. 21-01-KU, under which this research work was undertaken.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e The data generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbbasi S, Soltani N, Keshavarzi B, Moore F, Hassanaghaei M (2018) Microplastics in different tissues of fish and prawn from the Musa Estuary, Persian Gulf. 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Sci Total Environ 677:493\u0026ndash;501. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.04.380\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.04.380\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":" Tables","content":" \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eThe abundance of MPs in cultured (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;24) and captured (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;24) prawn samples from southwestern and southeastern coastal regions of Bangladesh.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eLocation\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNo. of MPs/individual sample\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eCultured Prawn\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eCaptured Prawn\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGill\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGut\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMuscle\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eitems/ind.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGill\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGut\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMuscle\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eitems/ind.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBagerhat\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.21\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.05\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003csup\u003eB,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e8.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.62\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e3.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.16\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.89\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e5.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.21\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eKhulna\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.70\u003csup\u003eA,ab,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e3.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.60\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.03\u003csup\u003eB,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e7.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.27\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.67\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.82\u003csup\u003eA,ab,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003csup\u003eA,a,y\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e0.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.67\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eSatkhira\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.05\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.47\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e10.16\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.26\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.55\u003csup\u003eA,ab,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e3.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.63\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.72\u003csup\u003eA,b,y\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e6.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.09\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eChattogram\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e3.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.72\u003csup\u003eA,ab,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4.67\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.5\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.7\u003csup\u003eAB,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e9.99\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.27\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e3.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.05\u003csup\u003eA,a,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.67\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.82\u003csup\u003eA,b,x\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e7.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.01\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"9\"\u003eN.B.: *Different superscript small letters (a, b..) in each row indicate significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) among different tissue types for the same cultured and captured prawns. Different superscript capital letters (A, B\u0026hellip;) in each column indicate significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) among different locations (spatial) for the same source and tissue. Different superscripts (x, y\u0026hellip;) in each row indicate significant differences (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, T-test) between cultured and captured prawns for the same tissue type (gill, gut, and muscle).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eCompositional analysis of microplastic polymers and their estimated risk implications.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolymer type\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePercentage (%) (Pn)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHazard score (Sn)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolymer hazard index (PHI)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHazard category\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eRisk level\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolyvinyl stearate (PVS)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e40.82\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNc\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolyethylene: propylene: diene (PEPD)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e22.45\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNc\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNylon II\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e15.42\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNc\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolyethylene (PE)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e8.16\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e11\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e0.90\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eⅠ (\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;1)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNegligible\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolyethylacrylate:ST: Acrylamide\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e5.12\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNc\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e-\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolyethylene terephthalate (PET)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e5.99\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e0.24\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eⅠ (\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;1)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNegligible\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePolyvinyl chloride (PVC)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.04\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e5001\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e102.02\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eIV (100\u0026ndash;1000)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHazardous\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003eN.B.: *Nc\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Not classified\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Bold\" class=\"Bold\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eLiterature-reported microplastic levels across aquatic species\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"10\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eSL\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eSpecies\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eLocation\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eSample type\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMPs\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e(Items/individual)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eDominant Size\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eDominant Type\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eDominant color\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eReferences\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e01\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003ePenaeus indicus\u003c/span\u003e (W)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePersian Gulf\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTotal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e21.8\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e100\u0026ndash;250\u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFilamentous fragments\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlack-grey\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eAbbasi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGill\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e7.00\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGut\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.25\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eEx.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e6.83\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eLiver\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.08\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMuscle\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4.58\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e02\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eLitopenaeus vannamei (U)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMalaysia\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTotal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e473\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFilm\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eCurren et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eL. vannamei (U)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eEcuador\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e387.5\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFilm\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTransparent\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eP. muelleri (U)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eAtlantic Ocean\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e391,189 (mean)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e10\u0026ndash;20\u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eSpheres\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eOpaque\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eFenneropenaeus indicus\u003c/span\u003e (U)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eIndian Ocean\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e209,097 (mean)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eSpheres\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e03\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003ePenaeus indicus (U)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNortheastern Arabian Sea\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTotal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e7.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.60\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e100\u0026ndash;250\u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibre\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlack\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGurjar et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e04\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eMetapenaeus monocerous\u003c/span\u003e (W)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNorthern Bay of Bengal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTotal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e7.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e500\u0026micro;m-1mm\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eParticle\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlack\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHossain et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003ePenaeus monodon\u003c/span\u003e(W)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e6.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e1.0-5.0mm\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibre\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlack\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e05\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eMacrobrachium rosenbergii\u003c/span\u003e (W)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eThailand\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTotal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e11.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.74\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;1.0mm\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibre\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlue\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eJitkaew et al. (2023)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eIntestine\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.77\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eStomach\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.73\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTissue\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e5.29\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.93\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e06\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eMacrobrachium rosenbergii\u003c/span\u003e (Female) (C)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eThailand\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGT\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e33.31\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;19.42\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e500\u0026ndash;1000 \u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibre\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eWhite/Transparent\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e(Reunura and Prommi, 2022)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eMacrobrachium rosenbergii\u003c/span\u003e (Male) (C)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGT\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e33.43\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;19.07\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e07\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eLitopenaeus\u003c/span\u003e (C) \u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003evannamei\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eCau Hai Lagoon, Central Vietnam\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eWhole\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e8.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.5\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibre\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlack-grey\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMy et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGT\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e6.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.4\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e100\u0026ndash;250\u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTissue\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e2.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.4\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;100 \u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e08\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eLitopenaeus vannamei\u003c/span\u003e (W)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eNorthwestern Mexico\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eWhole\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e18.5\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.2\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;2000 \u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibre\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTransparent\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eValencia-Casta\u0026ntilde;eda et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR72\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGT\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e7.6\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.6\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGills\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e6.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eEx.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e4.3\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e09\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eLitopenaeus vannamei\u003c/span\u003e (C)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eThailand\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eTotal\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e66.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;29.19\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;100 to \u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;500 \u0026micro;m\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFragments\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlue\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e(Vitheepradit and Prommi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR73\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGT\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e27.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.28\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHEP\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e17.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.90\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eMuscle\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e11.37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eEx.\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e10.04\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e10\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u003cspan type=\"Italic\" class=\"Italic\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003eLitopenaeus vannamei\u003c/span\u003e (C)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eChina\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eIntestine\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e6.32\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.40\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.5\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFibers\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eBlue\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eYan et al. (2021)\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"10\"\u003eSL\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Serial; GT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;gastrointestinal tract; Ex. = exoskeleton; HEP\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;hepatopancreas; C=Cultured samples; W=Captured samples; U\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;unknown origin (information not provided in the publication).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"","identity":"aquaculture-international","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"10499","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10499/3","title":"Aquaculture International","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Microplastics, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, prawn, capture, pond culture, Bangladesh","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8743264/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8743264/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eMicroplastic (MP) contamination has become a global concern due to the widespread use of plastics, their environmental persistence, and associated health risks. To determine whether MPs are also present in the commercially important freshwater prawn \u003cem\u003eMacrobrachium rosenbergii\u003c/em\u003e, gut, gills and muscles of prawns from both culture and capture in key prawn-producing districts of southwestern Bangladesh were examined. MP extraction involved tissue digestion, filtration, microscopic analysis, and polymer identification using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed a significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in MP abundance between cultured prawns (8.91\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.38 items/individual) and captured prawns (5.87\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.07 items/individual), indicating a higher likelihood of MP ingestion in cultured prawns. In the tissues, MPs were most abundant in the gut, followed by the gills and muscles. The dominant types of MPs across all tissues were fibres, particles smaller than 0.5 mm, and black-coloured MPs. Among the identified polymers, polyvinyl stearate was the most common (40.82%), followed by polyethylene-propylene-diene (22.45%). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that green-coloured MPs were negatively correlated with cultured prawns, whereas other MP characteristics were positively correlated in both groups. The sources of MPs were similar for both cultured and captured prawns, as determined by cluster analysis. The Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), determined to 102.02, indicates potential toxicological effects on the ecosystems and human health. This study emphasises the importance of increased awareness of MP pollution and provides vital insights for governments and agencies to develop effective mitigation strategies to protect the safety and sustainability of prawn farming in Bangladesh.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Microplastics in farmed and wild Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Diverse Aquatic Environments in Bangladesh","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-12 15:35:40","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8743264/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-02-17T11:24:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-16T06:41:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"178385622167917046850888292076864726090","date":"2026-02-13T10:43:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-13T01:19:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-12T13:31:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-09T18:40:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"171162339529762455991668891126450164626","date":"2026-02-09T05:36:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"258342579518279066051258004713164950948","date":"2026-02-09T05:04:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"336947498302719376080327519885496280898","date":"2026-02-09T03:51:12+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"146528183615696815238423101872043733334","date":"2026-02-09T01:03:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-08T20:49:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-03T09:54:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-02-02T02:14:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Aquaculture International","date":"2026-01-30T16:11:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"","identity":"aquaculture-international","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"10499","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10499/3","title":"Aquaculture International","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"44e7e071-983e-47dd-9666-3057af037242","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 12th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-29T10:40:27+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-12 15:35:40","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8743264","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8743264","identity":"rs-8743264","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}