Department of Natural Sciences, International Christian University, 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8585, Japan.
Field Studies Institute for Environmental Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, 4-1-1 Nukuikita-Machi, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8501, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2023 Jan 24;13(1):1344. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-28672-3.
Marine microplastics are one of the global environmental issues. The present study examined whether rubber tips of artificial sports fields could be marine microplastics. We observed the migration of rubber tips from the artificial turf field to the surrounding ditch connected to sewer pipes and then examined the ingestion of rubber tips using the goldfish Carassius auratus. The rubber tips found in sediments in the ditch suggest that the rubber tips could be sent to the river and released into the ocean. The goldfish ingested rubber tips with or without fish feed, and rubber tips were found in the intestine. However, the fish discharged the rubber tips within 48 h after ingestion. These results indicate that ingestion of the rubber tips was not accidental but an active behavior. Therefore, artificial turf sports fields could be a source of marine microplastics and may cause hazardous effects on wild fishes through ingestion.
海洋微塑料是全球环境问题之一。本研究探讨了人工运动场地的橡胶颗粒是否属于海洋微塑料。我们观察到橡胶颗粒从人工草皮场地迁移到与污水管相连的周围沟渠中，然后使用金鱼（Carassius auratus）检查了橡胶颗粒的摄入情况。沟渠沉积物中发现的橡胶颗粒表明，橡胶颗粒可能被输送到河流并释放到海洋中。金鱼在有或没有鱼饲料的情况下都摄入了橡胶颗粒，并且在肠道中发现了橡胶颗粒。然而，鱼在摄入后 48 小时内排出了橡胶颗粒。这些结果表明，摄入橡胶颗粒不是偶然的，而是一种主动行为。因此，人工草皮运动场可能是海洋微塑料的来源，并可能通过摄入对野生鱼类造成危害。
