Baseline Study of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Commercial Species Inhabiting in the Coastal Waters of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

A microplastics (MPs) emergence study in pelagic and mesopelagic species was carried out to delineate coastal degradation ecosystem status around the Karachi metropolis. Species of high commercial ecological worth were sampled using a gillnet 1.5 cm knot-to-knot mesh size November December 2021. In total twenty-six individuals including Liza subviridis (15), Thryssa dussumieri (3), Rastrelliger kanagurta (2), Portunus sanguinolentus (6) used perceive MPs. strong linearity between body length MPs ( R 2 = 0.937, SE 0.071 0.928, 0.104) calculated for L. P. sangiuilatus , respectively. However, data T. dussummeiri R. Kanagurta showed minimization failure. The GIT extracted direct observation under sophisticated binuclear microscope chemical digestion (KOH) together with wet peroxide oxidation (H O +FeSO 4 ) methods. MP materials categorized as foam, film, fiber, fragment, beads three different sizes 170, 120, 100 ?m stomach, intestine, esophagus. Film-type appeared frequently, whereas rarely seen. It is hoped that this baseline research would help minimize industrial release, recognize critical knowledge gaps, demonstrate flux being released into aquatic environment. results will support mitigation emerging threat living resources area.