Quantifying microplastics in native and farmed fish: Evidence from Orestias agassii and Oncorhynchus mykiss in Lake Titicaca

Angel Canales-Gutiérrez; Gimena Quispe-Curasi; Ivan Mamani-Vilca; Sebastián Zafra-Añamuro; Angel Geronimo-Apaza; Olinda Cabana-Cabana; Margot Reyes-Orihuela

Authors

Angel Canales-Gutiérrez
acanales@unap.edu.pe
High-Andean Research Institute, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ecology Program, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.
Gimena Quispe-Curasi High-Andean Research Institute, Fisheries Program, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ecology Program, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.
Ivan Mamani-Vilca High-Andean Research Institute, Fisheries Program, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ecology Program, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.
Sebastián Zafra-Añamuro High-Andean Research Institute, Fisheries Program, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ecology Program, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.
Angel Geronimo-Apaza High-Andean Research Institute, Fisheries Program, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ecology Program, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.
Olinda Cabana-Cabana High-Andean Research Institute, Fisheries Program, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Ecology Program, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.
Margot Reyes-Orihuela Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Faculty of Biological Sciences, National University of the Altiplano, Puno, Peru.

Vol. 14: Accepted Articles

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July 17, 2026

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Orestias agassii (black carachi) and Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) are key fish species in the diet of local populations surrounding Lake Titicaca. However, recent studies have raised concern about the presence of microplastics (MPs) in this high-altitude aquatic ecosystem. Hence, this study aimed to quantify MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts of black carachi and rainbow trout from the Chucuito and Uros Chulluni areas of Lake Titicaca. The research was conducted between May and July 2024. A total of 100 O. agassii and 50 O. mykiss individuals were dissected, and gastrointestinal contents were digested using 10% KOH to isolate MPs. The results showed an average of 6.02 MPs/individual in black carachi from Uros Chulluni and 5.34 MPs/individual in Chucuito, providing the first documented evidence of MP ingestion in this native species in Lake Titicaca. In rainbow trout, MP concentrations were significantly higher, with averages of 21.1 MPs in Capachica and 44.6 MPs in Chucuito, and maximum values of 71 and 135 MPs/individual, respectively. A positive relationship was found between MP ingestion and digestive tract morphometry in both native and farmed species.

Canales-Gutiérrez, A., Quispe-Curasi, G., Mamani-Vilca , I., Zafra-Añamuro , S., Geronimo-Apaza , A., Cabana-Cabana, O., & Reyes-Orihuela , M. (2026). Quantifying microplastics in native and farmed fish: Evidence from Orestias agassii and Oncorhynchus mykiss in Lake Titicaca. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 14. Retrieved from https://ij-aquaticbiology.com/index.php/ijab/article/view/2474

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