Researchers find microplastics in fish from two Ecuadorian Amazon rivers

Researchers from the Universidad Estatal Amazónica (UEA) have detected microplastics in the sediments and on the surface of the Puyo River, located in the province of Pastaza, in the center of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Subsequently, in September 2023, they found these contaminants in the digestive tracts of fish destined for human consumption, both in the Puyo River and in the Cononaco River, which flows through the Yasuní National Park.

Surprisingly, higher levels of microplastics were found in fish from the Cononaco River, a less urbanized area, suggesting that microplastic pollution has reached even remote areas of the Amazon. Microplastics, plastic fragments smaller than five millimeters, can contain toxic chemicals and absorb pollutants from the environment, posing a potential risk to human health if they enter the food chain.