October 14, 2025

 

 

A new study highlights growing concerns over microplastic contamination in fish farming.

 

According to Fish Farming Expert, nets made from nylon may be worse for microplastic pollution than other polyethylene options.

 

In response to mounting concerns about microplastic pollution in everything from the food humans eat to the clouds, many organizations are seeking to reduce microplastic pollution wherever possible. Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic that can break off and pollute everything from organic matter to soil and waterways.

 

Norwegian research institute SINTEF Ocean aims to advise fish farms on the best practices and products to reduce microplastic exposure.

 

The team examined how "material selection and cleaning methods in fish farms can have a major impact on microplastic emissions," Fish Farming Expert reported.

 

The research found that nylon nets could release five times as many microplastics as nets made of high-density polyethylene or ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. The team also found that recycled and used materials released more microplastics than new materials.

 

"The project has tested and developed important tools that can be used and further developed to control and reduce emissions of microplastics," Andy Booth, project manager from SINTEF Ocean, said, per Fish Farming Expert.

 

Microplastics pose a variety of risks to human and environmental health.

 

Stanford referred to microplastics as the material that "never goes away." This is because, like plastics, microplastics take hundreds of years to break down.

 

Microplastics enter the human food chain either through animals ingesting the microplastics and then humans consuming animal products, or through plastic food packaging. Microplastic exposure may cause reproductive issues, DNA damage, and lead to cancer, according to Harvard Medicine.

 

As bits of plastic, microplastics are also derived from dirty energy sources such as petroleum. Continued burning and use of dirty energy sources contributes to the ever-increasing global average temperatures that fuel extreme weather patterns.

 

Microplastics also have a more immediate impact on wildlife. When ingested, microplastics can reduce an animal's ability to eat, cause choking, or induce genetic changes, the United Nations noted.

 

What's being done about microplastics?

Many have recognised the risks associated with microplastics. For example, California has enacted a microplastics management strategy to reduce the amount of microplastics in the ocean and waterways.

 

-      The Cool Down