Low microplastic loads in riverine European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from southwest England during their marine-freshwater transition

The microplastic loads in elvers of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla, sampled in the lower reaches of three English rivers, were very low (incidence: 3.3%, mean +/- s.d.: 0.03 +/- 0.18 particles) and did not vary with body length or between rivers. Particles were mostly black, polyolefins, fibres and fragments of size 101-200 mu m. Current levels indicate a low contamination pressure locally and, consequently, management efforts might prioritise mitigating the effects of other stressors affecting the species.