Master’s Thesis at the University of Basrah Explores Microplastic Accumulation in Sediments and Iraqi Shrimp
A master’s thesis at the College of Marine Science, University of Basrah, titled “Study of Microplastic Accumulation in Sediments and Samples of Shrimp Metapenaeus affinis (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) in Iraqi Inland and Marine Waters”, investigated the presence and distribution of microplastics in Iraqi aquatic environments.
The thesis, presented by Hussein Kazem Mohammed, aimed to assess the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in sediments from the Al-Mashab area (freshwater) and Khor Al-Zubair (marine waters), as well as their accumulation in the digestive tract of Metapenaeus affinis shrimp.
The study identified the number, color, and shape of microplastic particles in both sediments and shrimp samples, and further characterized the polymer types using FT-IR spectroscopy. It also examined the influence of environmental factors—including salinity, temperature, and pH—on the presence of these particles.
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