Thamsenanupap Penkhae, Pumipuntu Natapol, Tanee Tawatchai, Kyes Pensri, Karaket Apichat, Kyes Randall C
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand.
One Health Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44000, Thailand.
Vet Sci. 2024 Dec 11;11(12):642. doi: 10.3390/vetsci11120642.
Microplastic pollution is a global concern arising from the extensive production and use of plastics. The prevalence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment is escalating due in large part to the excessive use of plastics in various human-related activities. Consequently, animals are being exposed to MPs through dietary intake, which poses significant health risks to the wild populations. The objective of the study was to assess the concentration of MPs in the feces of wild long-tailed macaques () in the Kosumpee Forest Park (KFP) located in Northeast Thailand. KFP is situated in close proximity to the town of Kosum Phisai and experiences considerable human-primate interaction. Fresh fecal drops from 50 adult macaques were collected and sampled. MP presence in the feces was measured using density separation through visual identification under a stereomicroscope. We found a total of 396 MP particles in the feces with an average of 7.9 particles/macaque. Two forms of MPs were found in the macaques' feces including fibers (391 pieces; 98.73%) and asymmetric fragments (5 pieces; 1.27%), with sizes mostly ranging under 1000 µm. The most observed color of MPs was blue (152 pieces; 38.48%). This study highlights the impact of anthropogenic waste and the potential health problems that can be caused to wild animals via microplastic pollution. The results contribute to the ongoing discussions on environmental health within the One Health framework.
微塑料污染是塑料大量生产和使用引发的一个全球问题。环境中微塑料（MPs）的普遍存在在很大程度上因各种与人类相关活动中塑料的过度使用而不断升级。因此，动物通过饮食摄入接触到微塑料，这对野生种群构成了重大健康风险。本研究的目的是评估位于泰国东北部的科苏姆皮森林公园（KFP）中野生食蟹猕猴粪便中的微塑料浓度。KFP紧邻科苏姆披赛镇，人与灵长类动物之间有大量互动。收集并采样了50只成年猕猴的新鲜粪便样本。通过在体视显微镜下目视识别，利用密度分离法测量粪便中微塑料的存在情况。我们在粪便中总共发现了396个微塑料颗粒，平均每只猕猴有7.9个颗粒。在猕猴粪便中发现了两种微塑料形态，包括纤维（391片；98.73%）和不对称碎片（5片；1.27%），尺寸大多在1000微米以下。观察到的微塑料最常见颜色是蓝色（152片；38.48%）。本研究强调了人为废物的影响以及微塑料污染可能给野生动物造成的潜在健康问题。研究结果有助于在“同一个健康”框架内持续开展的关于环境卫生的讨论。
