Occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Over the last decades synthetic polymers, so called plastics, became one of our most indispensable tools used in nearly all of our daily applications. The littering and loss of plastic waste is nowadays becoming a threat to wildlife since the material is not biodegradable and may persist for centuries. About 6.4 million tons of plastic enter the oceans annually, which undergo degradation into smaller fragments by weathering, wave abrasion and UV radiation during their residence on sea. Large debris, so called macroplastics (>5 mm size) represent a risk to larger marine animals mostly by entanglement. Ingestion of plastics is believed to cause a false sensation of satiation or internal injuries and blockage. In contrast, microplastic (