Microplastics in aquaculture and their implications on fish welfare and food safety

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants of global concern due to their persistence in aquatic environments and potential impacts on ecosystems and human health. In aquaculture environments, MP contamination arrives from exogenous and endogenous sources, such as water, feed, plastic equipment, making farmed seafood a possible exposure route for human consumers. In this presentation, it will be shared the PhD candidate’s results obtained while quantifying MP contamination in different production systems of European seabass, as well as their potential implications for the fish health and exposure risk for human consumers. Understanding their presence and biological effects in aquaculture settings is essential to ensure sustainable seafood production and protect public health, aligning with the ‘One Health’ framework.

Ricardo Matias (CIIMAR)

Ricardo Matias is a passionate marine biologist dedicated to understanding the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on aquatic ecosystems. He holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Ecology from the University of Coimbra, and is currently completing his PhD in Animal Science at ICBAS. He arrived at CIIMAR under the ATLANTIDA project, and his research focuses on microplastic pollution in aquaculture systems and its potential implications on fish welfare and seafood safety.

In case of any questions, please contact CIIMAR’s Seminar team, Marta Monteiro, Miguel Semedo, & Paulo Oliveira, at seminars@ciimar.up.pt

External members of CIIMAR should send an email to slopes@ciimar.up.pt, requesting authorization to enter the Porto Cruise Terminal area

CIIMAR members can also access last seminars recordings through the LINK.