Wellington, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Microplastics have been found not only in fish guts but also in muscle tissue, according to a study released recently by New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

This study shows that after fish swallow microplastics, there will be obvious inflammation in the gut, affecting the digestive system and other functions of fish, which may eventually affect their survival, and the damage degree increases with the increase of the concentration of microplastics.

In addition, the study found that microplastics can also enter the muscle tissue of fish through the intestinal wall, affecting their health, and humans will also unknowingly ingest microplastics after eating these fish. The researchers' next step will be to focus on the long-term effects of microfibers, the most common type of microplastic found in the ocean, on fish.

Microplastics generally refer to plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size. There is growing evidence that microplastics are polluting the Marine environment. After entering the food chain, these waste products can flow back to the human table and endanger human health.

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