Microplastics in Indian squid (Uroteuthis duvaucelii ) in region 1, Philippines
Paper Details
Microplastics in Indian squid (Uroteuthis duvaucelii ) in region 1, Philippines
Abstract
Microplastic pollution threatens marine ecosystems and human health through seafood consumption in the Philippines. This study assessed the prevalence, abundance, and morphology of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of Indian squid (Uroteuthis duvaucelii) from two major Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – National Stock Assessment Program (BFAR-NSAP) landing sites in Region 1: Tubod, Sto. Tomas, La Union, and Port Sual, Pangasinan. Six specimens (n=3/site) underwent gastrointestinal tract dissection, 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) digestion at 80°C for 48 hours, density separation, vacuum filtration, Nile red staining, and fluorescence. Prevalence reached 66.67% at Tubod (2/3 samples positive; up to 7 fragments and 6 fibers per specimen) versus 33.33% at Sual (1/3 positive; 3 mixed particles), with non-significant spatial differences (Fisher’s exact test, p=0.52) attributable to limited sample size (n=6). Fragments (50% or total particles; irregular, jagged shapes) and fibers (50% of total particles; linear morphology) dominated, all exhibiting <20 μm and intense orange fluorescence indicative of synthetic polymers and consistent spectral emission. Higher abundances at urban-proximal Tubod implicate riverine runoff, fishing gear microfiber shedding, and post-harvest contamination despite shared Lingayen Gulf fishing grounds, aligning with neritic squid vulnerability via contaminated prey. These baseline data highlight food safety risks from secondary microplastics and support SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Recommendations include routine BFAR-NSAP screening with expanded n≥10/site, μ-Raman spectroscopy for polymer identification, riverine plastic booms, gear audits, and Local Government Unit-led waste interventions at high-risk sites.
Benaires KD, Yap-Dejeto LG, Parilla RB. 2025. Microplastics in commercially sold fish in a coastal city of the Philippine Islands, Western Pacific. Regional Studies in Marine Science 82, 104025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2025.104025
Bilugan QM, Limbago JS, Gutierrez RL. 2021. Detection and quantification of microplastics from cultured green mussel (Perna viridis) in Bacoor Bay, Cavite, Philippines. Sustinere: Journal of Environment and Sustainability 5(2), 90–102. https://doi.org/10.22515/sustinere.jes.v5i2.166
Bothma F, Uren RC, Iordachescu L, Van Der Lingen CD, Bouwman H. 2024. Microplastics in the Indian and South Atlantic oceans translocate to gills, digestive glands, and muscle of the chokka squid Loligo reynaudii. Marine Pollution Bulletin 202, 116371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116371
Daniel DB, Ashraf PM, Thomas SN, Thomson K. 2020. Microplastics in the edible tissues of shellfishes sold for human consumption. Chemosphere 264, 128554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128554
Hantoro I, Lahr AJ, Van Belleghem FGAJ, Widianarko B, Ragas AMJ. 2019. Microplastics in coastal areas and seafood: implications for food safety. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A 36(5), 674–711. https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2019.1585581
Hidalgo-Ruz V, Gutow L, Thompson RC, Thiel M. 2012. Microplastics in the marine environment: a review of the methods used for identification and quantification. Environmental Science & Technology 46(6), 3060–3075. https://doi.org/10.1021/es2031505
Hidalgo-Ruz V, Luna-Jorquera G, Eriksen M, Frick H, Miranda-Urbina D, Portflitt-Toro M, Rivadeneira MM, Robertson CJ, Scofield RP, Serratosa J, Suazo CG, Thiel M. 2020. Factors (type, colour, density, and shape) determining the removal of marine plastic debris by seabirds from the South Pacific Ocean: is there a pattern? Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31(2), 389–407. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3453
Legaspi JM, Del Norte-Campos AG, Campos WL. 2024. Age and growth of the Indian squid Uroteuthis duvaucelii: analysis of statolith microstructure and length-frequency data. Zoological Studies 63, 12. https://doi.org/10.6620/ZS.2024.63-12
Maes T, Jessop R, Wellner N, Haupt K, Mayes AG. 2017. A rapid-screening approach to detect and quantify microplastics based on fluorescent tagging with Nile red. Scientific Reports 7, 44501. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44501
Onda DFL, Gomez NCF, Purganan DJE. 2021. Handbook for quantifying plastics in the marine environment. Microbial Oceanography Laboratory, Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman. Retrieved February 13, 2026, from https://www.plasticount.ph/assets/files/guides/Handbook_for_Plastics_Research_Methods_UPDATED.pdf
Pustadan R. 2024. The growing threat of microplastics and plastics. National Research Council of the Philippines. https://nrcp.dost.gov.ph/the-growing-threat-of-microplastics-and-plastics
R Core Team. 2023. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/
Reichardt W, McGlone MLSD, Jacinto GS. 2007. Organic pollution and its impact on the microbiology of coastal marine environments: a Philippine perspective. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW-2007-4101
Rochman CM, Brookson C, Bikker J, Djuric N, Earn A, Bucci K, Athey S, Huntington A, McIlwraith HL, Munno K, De Frond H, Kolomijeca A, Erdle L, Grbic J, Bayoumi M, Borrelle SB, Wu T, Santoro S, Werbowski LM, Hung C. 2019. Rethinking microplastics as a diverse contaminant suite. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 38(4), 703–711. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4371
John Dave B. Orpilla*, 2026. Microplastics in Indian squid (Uroteuthis duvaucelii ) in region 1, Philippines. J. Biodiv. Environ. Sci., 28(3), 1-7.
Copyright © 2026 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.