Occurrence of microplastics in Fish from Mendoza River: First Insights into Plastic Pollution in the Central Andes, Argentina

The widespread use of plastic products in our modern life represents a serious threat to aquatic environments and wild animals that are exposed waste. Although microplastics (MPs) have been reported fish from several freshwater around the world, mountain little studied so far. occurrence MPs was assessed gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) non-native (rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss brown Salmo trutta) native (torrent catfish Hatcheria macraei) Mendoza River Central Andes, Argentina. Fibers (85%) were main type recovered here analyzed, followed by fragments (15%). Blue fibers analyzed specimens: (50%), rainbow (71%), torrent (63%). Significant differences median total MPs’ abundance fiber observed among species. highest found GITs trout, while lowest catfish. This study baseline for characteristics terms shape color collected river Andes.