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Bibi, Fazeelat; Qazi, Adnan A: Microplastic abundance and morphology in the gastrointestinal tracts of the freshwater catfish (Wallago attu Bloch & Schneider, 1801) from Head Panjnad, Punjab, Pakistan (2023) [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.995265 (dataset in review), In: Bibi, F; Qazi, AA: Microplastic abundance, morphology, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) polymer characterization in the gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of Wallago attu, surface water, and riverbed sediment from Head Panjnad, Punjab, Pakistan (2023) [dataset bundled publication]. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.995243 (dataset in review)

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Abstract:
This dataset provides geo-referenced measurements of microplastic (MP) occurrence, abundance, morphological characterization, and FTIR polymer identification across three environmental matrices — surface water, riverbed sediment, and gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of the freshwater catfish (Wallago attu Bloch & Schneider, 1801) — collected from Head Panjnad, Punjab, Pakistan (29.347842° N, 71.028484° E) in 2023. Head Panjnad represents the confluence of all five major Punjab rivers (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej), constituting a key node of the Indus River Basin. Ten specimens of W. attu were morphometrically characterized and their GITs examined for MPs. Parallel water and sediment samples (n = 10 each) were processed through KOH/HNO₃ digestion, Whatman filtration, and stereomicroscopy, with polymer identity confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Mean GIT MP burden was 12.08 ± 3.47 items/individual. Surface water MP concentration averaged 79.42 ± 17.82 items/m³. Riverbed sediment MP constituted a mean of 0.148% of total solids. Fiber morphotype dominated all three matrices (65–74%). PE, PP, nylon, and probable polyester (PET) were confirmed by FTIR across matrices. All data values in this submission are summary statistics (mean, SD, SE, min, max) aggregated over n = 10 replicates per matrix; individual-level raw data are not available.
Keyword(s):
fibers; freshwater; Indus basin; Microplastics; Pakistan; Siluridae; Wallago attu
Related to:
Dehaut, Alexandre; Cassone, Anne-Laure; Frère, Laura; Hermabessiere, Ludovic; Himber, Charlotte; Rinnert, Emmanuel; Rivière, Gilles; Lambert, Christophe; Soudant, Philippe; Huvet, Arnaud; Duflos, Guillaume; Paul-Pont, Ika (2016): Microplastics in seafood: Benchmark protocol for their extraction and characterization. Environmental Pollution, 215, 223-233, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.05.018
Hurley, Rachel R; Lusher, Amy L; Olsen, Marianne; Nizzetto, Luca (2018): Validation of a method for extracting microplastics from complex, organic-rich, environmental matrices. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(13), 7409-7417, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b01517
Koelmans, Albert A; Mohamed Nor, Nur Hazimah; Hermsen, Enya; Kooi, Merel; Mintenig, Svenja M; De France, Jennifer (2019): Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: Critical review and assessment of data quality. Water Research, 155, 410-422, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.02.054
Prata, Joana Correia; da Costa, João P; Duarte, Armando C; Rocha-Santos, Teresa (2019): Methods for sampling and detection of microplastics in water and sediment: A critical review. Trac-Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 110, 150-159, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.10.029
Raheel, Syed Muhammad Moeen Uddin; Qazi, Adnan A; Latif, Muhammad; Naz, Huma; Waqas, Yasir; Lackner, Maximilian (2025): Unveiling the microplastics menace in freshwater fishes: Evidence from the Panjnad Barrage, South Punjab, Pakistan. Fishes, 10(5), 198, https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10050198
Shim, Won Joon; Song, Young Kyoung; Hong, Sang Hee; Jang, Mi (2016): Identification and quantification of microplastics using Nile Red staining. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 113(1-2), 469-476, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.049
Thompson, Richard C; Olsen, Ylva S; Mitchell, Richard P; Davis, Anthony; Rowland, Steven J; John, Anthony W G; McGonigle, Daniel; Russell, Andrea E (2004): Lost at sea: Where is all the plastic? Science, 304(5672), 838-838, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1094559
Source:
Bibi, Fazeelat (2023): Microplastics in fish (Wallago attu) from Head Panjnad, Bahawalpur [thesis]. Master thesis, Department of Zoology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CUVAS), Bahawalpur, Pakistan (CORRIGENDUM: The herein reported mean concentration 794.419 items/m³ for surface water was incorrect. The corrected mean concentration of 79.419 items/m³ was used in the datset (compare table 4.3: min = 44.57, max = 101.92, n =10).)
Documentation:
Coverage:
Latitude: 29.347842 * Longitude: 71.028484
Date/Time Start: 2023-01-01T00:00:00 * Date/Time End: 2023-12-31T00:00:00
Event(s):
PJ-Fish-2023 * Latitude: 29.347842 * Longitude: 71.028484 * Date/Time Start: 2023-01-01T00:00:00 * Date/Time End: 2023-12-31T00:00:00 * Location: Head Panjnad, Punjab, Pakistan * Method/Device: Fish sampling (FISHS) * Comment: Freshwater catfish (Wallago attu) were collected somewhen in 2023 (exact date unknown)
Comment:
Key dataset features:
* Summary statistics of fish morphometrics, microplastic burden, colour and shape distribution, and FTIR transmittance for gastrointestinal tracts of Wallago attu (n=10).
* Full methodological details, limitations (no procedural blanks, detection limit ~100–300 µm, aggregated summary statistics only), and data quality notes are included in Metadata_README.txt and the submission package document.
Acknowledgements:
The authors acknowledge the assistance of local fishermen at Head Panjnad for fish collection, and the Department of Zoology, CUVAS Bahawalpur for laboratory facilities.
Parameter(s):
#NameShort NameUnitPrincipal InvestigatorMethod/DeviceComment
1Event labelEventQazi, Adnan A
2Location of eventLocationQazi, Adnan A
3Latitude of eventLatitudeQazi, Adnan A
4Longitude of eventLongitudeQazi, Adnan A
5Year of samplingYear samplQazi, Adnan AExact date unknown
6Sample materialSamp matQazi, Adnan ASample matrix
7Species, unique identificationSpecies UIDQazi, Adnan AReference in WoRMS (WoRMS)
8Species, unique identification (URI)Species UID (URI)Qazi, Adnan AReference in WoRMS (WoRMS)
9Species, unique identification (Semantic URI)Species UID (Semantic URI)Qazi, Adnan AReference in WoRMS (WoRMS)
10Sample methodSample methodQazi, Adnan ACollection method
11Data typeData typeQazi, Adnan A
12Number of samplesSamples#Qazi, Adnan ASample size
13Sample digestion methodSample digestion methQazi, Adnan ADigestion method
14Extraction methodExtractionQazi, Adnan ADetection method
15Fish, wet massFish wmgQazi, Adnan AMean valuesMean body weight (n = 10)
16Fish, wet mass, standard deviationFish wm std dev±Qazi, Adnan ACalculated standard deviationStandard deviation of the mean body weight (n = 10)
17Fish, wet mass, minimumFish wm mingQazi, Adnan AMinimumMinimum body weight (n = 10)
18Fish, wet mass, maximumFish wm maxgQazi, Adnan AMaximumMaximum body weight (n = 10)
19Fish, total lengthFish TLcmQazi, Adnan AMean valuesMean body length (n = 10)
20Fish, total length, standard deviationFish TL±Qazi, Adnan ACalculated standard deviationStandard deviation of the mean body length (n = 10)
21Fish, total length, minimumFish mincmQazi, Adnan AMinimumMinimum body length (n = 10)
22Fish, total length, maximumFish maxcmQazi, Adnan AMaximumMaximum body length (n = 10)
23Gastrointestinal tract, wet massGIT wmgQazi, Adnan AMean valuesMean weight of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
24Gastrointestinal tract, wet mass, standard deviationGIT wm std dev±Qazi, Adnan ACalculated standard deviationStandard deviation of the mean weight of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
25Gastrointestinal tract, wet mass, minimumGIT wm mingQazi, Adnan AMinimumMinimum weight of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
26Gastrointestinal tract, wet mass, maximumGIT wm maxgQazi, Adnan AMaximumMaximum weight of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
27Gastrointestinal tract, lengthGIT lcmQazi, Adnan AMean valuesMean length of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
28Gastrointestinal tract, length, standard deviationGIT l std dev±Qazi, Adnan ACalculated standard deviationStandard deviation of the mean length of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
29Gastrointestinal tract, length, minimumGIT l mincmQazi, Adnan AMinimumMinimum length of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
30Gastrointestinal tract, length, maximumGIT l maxcmQazi, Adnan AMaximumMaximum length of the gastrointestinal tract (n = 10)
31Fulton's condition factorKQazi, Adnan AMean values of Fulton's condition factor (K = 100 x somatic weight / length^3)Mean fish condition factor K = W/L^3 (n = 10)
32Fulton's condition factor, standard deviationK std dev±Qazi, Adnan ACalculated standard deviationStandard deviation of the mean fish condition factor K = W/L^3 (n = 10)
33Fulton's condition factor, minimumK minQazi, Adnan AMinimumMinimum fish condition factor K = W/L^3 (n = 10)
34Fulton's condition factor, maximumK maxQazi, Adnan AMaximumMaximum fish condition factor K = W/L^3 (n = 10)
35Microplastic abundance, per individualMicroplastic/ind#/#Qazi, Adnan AMean valuesMean microplastic abundance in the gastrointestinal tract, per individual (n = 10)
36Microplastic abundance, per individual, standard deviationMicroplastic/ind std dev±Qazi, Adnan ACalculated standard deviationStandard deviation of the mean microplastic abundance in the gastrointestinal tract, per individual (n = 10)
37Microplastic abundance, per individual, minimumMicroplastic/ind min#/#Qazi, Adnan AMinimumMinimum microplastic abundance in the gastrointestinal tract, per individual (n = 10)
38Microplastic abundance, per individual, maximumMicroplastic/ind max#/#Qazi, Adnan AMaximumMaximum microplastic abundance in the gastrointestinal tract, per individual (n = 10)
39Microplastic particles, dominant colorMicroplastic part dom color%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of dominant color of microplastic particles
40Microplastic particles, dominant colorMicroplastic part dom colorQazi, Adnan ADominant color of microplastic particles
41Microplastic particles, dominant shapeMicroplastic part dom shape%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of dominant shape of microplastic particles
42Microplastic particles, dominant shapeMicroplastic part dom shapeQazi, Adnan ADominant shape of microplastic particles
43Microplastic particles, yellowMicroplastic part yellow%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of yellow microplastic particles
44Microplastic particles, redMicroplastic part red%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of red microplastic particles
45Microplastic particles, whiteMicroplastic part white%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of white microplastic particles
46Microplastic particles, blackMicroplastic part black%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of black microplastic particles
47Microplastic particles, orangeMicroplastic part orange%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of orange microplastic particles
48Microplastic particles, greenMicroplastic part green%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of green microplastic particles
49Microplastic particles, other colorMicroplastic part other color%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of microplastic particles of other color
50Microplastic particles, fiberMicroplastic part fiber%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of fibers out of the total number of microplastic particles
51Microplastic particles, pelletMicroplastic part pellet%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of pellets out of the total number of microplastic particles
52Microplastic particles, fragmentMicroplastic part fragment%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of fragments out of the total number of microplastic particles
53Microplastic particles, other shapeMicroplastic part other shape%Qazi, Adnan ACalculated from microplastic particle countsPercentage of other shapes out of the total number of microplastic particles
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) (License comes into effect after moratorium ends)
Status:
Curation Level: Enhanced curation (CurationLevelC)
Size:
47 data points

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