Page - 114 - in Freshwater Microplastics - Emerging Environmental Contaminants?

identification of different polymers from thefish intestinal tracts suggests awider rangeof inputs related to urbanwaste [17]. The consequence of plastic debris and MPs in the lake ecosystem requires further research. Other types of solidwaste, such as those originating frompaper production and agriculture, were found to interfere with the distribution of macroinvertebratecommunities in theKenyanwatersofLakeVictoria [52].Future investigations could also consider the trophic transfer ofMPs through the fresh- water foodchain,particularly in thecaseofNileperchwhichareknownto feedon smaller fish (haplochromine cichlids) and gastropods, as well as any potential “vector effect” that facilitates themovement of adhered contaminants through the food chain [53]. These are important aspects to study primarily because the top predators in these food chains are the local residents that ultimately consume thefish. Given the existing population density surrounding Lake Victoria and its esti- matedgrowth, theprevalenceofplasticdebris and subsequentlyMPs is also likely to increase.The relianceon the lakeasa resourcemeans that anypotential impacts ofMPsontheecosystemandbiotaneedtoberesearched,assessed,and, ifpossible, mitigated. However, research activities should not be confined only to LakeVic- toria.AnumberofAfrican freshwater bodies are just as likelyor evenmore likely to be impacted byMP pollution. Potentially, themainmessage to be taken from these case studies is the relative simplicity bywhich theywere accomplished. In particular, the purchase of fish frommarket and subsequent dissections required little specialist scientific equipment and could be replicated in other locations. In the following section, we consider the current challenges to MP research and mitigation inAfrica anddiscuss future researchneeds. 4 CurrentChallenges andFutureResearchNeeds With only two case studies available to highlight plastic and MP pollution in Africanwaters, themost obvious challenge and research need is the lack of data. More studies are urgently required to assess the extent ofMPpollution inAfrican freshwaters, aswell as their sourcesand their fate.However, letusassume that this lackofdatadoesnot indicate thatMPsarenot present in the environment and that further research would describe their presence. In this case, themore immediate challengesmaybehowtomitigateMPpollutionrather than just report it.Weargue thateffectivewastemanagement, increasedpublicawareness, andpoliticalwill are all necessary to avoiddeleterious impacts.However, it is the combinationof these factors rather than eachone in isolation that is likely to affect change. 114 F.R.Khanet al.