Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics Ben Parker1*, Demetra Andreou1, Katsiaryna Pabortsava2, Magdalena Barrow1, Iain D. Green1, J. Robert Britton1 1Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK. 2National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK. *Corresponding author: bparker@bournemouth.ac.uk Data summary and S files Data summary The associated folder contains 5 datasets collected relating to the manuscript " Microplastic loads within riverine fishes and macroinvertebrates are not predictable from ecological or morphological characteristics". Please refer to the manuscript for details on sampling and analyses. These datasets are: * S1-Blanks * S2-Macroinvertebrates * S3-Fish * S4-Stable Isotope Fish * S5-Polymers Note: Digestion blanks (“DIG.BLANK”) and biotic samples were processed as part of mixed batches of samples including those of another manuscript on another system with similar sample processing. A single set of digestion blanks was therefore performed and used for both sets of data. These data are duplicated in the other dataset. Note: Macroinvertebrate batch identifiers are not complete and continuous as samples from another site used the same numbering system. Additionally, some macroinvertebrate batches and fish individuals were initially processed using a different method that was shortly after abandoned. Please email bparker@bournemouth.ac.uk for any further details. S1-Blanks Sample information and microplastic data for procedural digestion blanks carried out to examine contamination introduced during processing. Procedural blanks were processed for and alongside biotic samples. Data column(s) Details ID Individual blank identifier Description Data collected during screening including the colour, morphology and width (in units) of each suspected microplastic. Additional notes of interest were sometimes also made. * Fibre particle lengths (in units) are often also included (e.g. L100) * “CONT” refers to suspected fragment contaminants that were excluded from counts Sus.MPs The total number of suspected microplastics Bead:Fragment columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each morphology category Blu.Grn:Other columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each colour category Size.100:Size.5000 columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each size category S2-Macroinvertebrates Sample information and microplastic data for batches of whole-digested macroinvertebrate samples. Data column(s) Details Date Date the sample was collected Reach River reach the sample was collected from ID Identifier for individual batches Taxa The taxonomic identification of the batch Batch.no The number of organisms within the batch Batch.weight The total wet weight (g) of the batch Description Data collected during screening including the colour, morphology and maximum size (in units) of each suspected microplastic. Additional notes of interest were sometimes also made. * Fibre particle widths (in units) are often also included (e.g. W100) * “CONT” refers to suspected fragment contaminants that were excluded from counts * “LDT” indicates a suspected microplastic was lost during transfer to a new surface before FTIR analyses Sus.MPs The total number of suspected microplastics Bead:Fragment columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each morphology category Blu.Grn:Other columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each colour category Size.100:Size.5000 columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each size category S3-Fish Sample information and microplastic data for the digested gastrointestinal tracts of individual fish. Data column(s) Details Date Month and year the sample was collected Reach River reach the sample was collected from ID Individual identifier Species Species Weight Total wet weight (g) S.length Standard length (mm) T.length Total length (mm) Gape Mouth gape (mm) GIT Wet weight of the dissected gastrointestinal tract (g) Parasites The number of Pomphorhynchus tereticollis parasites associated with the gastrointestinal tract Description Data collected during screening including the colour, morphology and maximum size (in units) of each suspected microplastic. Additional notes of interest were sometimes also made. * Fibre particle widths (in units) are often also included (e.g. W100) * “CONT” refers to suspected fragment contaminants that were excluded from counts * “LDT” indicates a suspected microplastic was lost during transfer to a new surface before FTIR analyses Sus.MPs The total number of suspected microplastics Bead:Fragment columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each morphology category Blu.Grn:Other columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each colour category Size.100:Size.5000 columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each size category S4-Stable Isotope fish Sample information, microplastic and stable isotope data a subset of fish. Data column(s) Details Date Month and year the sample was collected Reach River reach the sample was collected from ID Individual identifier Species Species Weight Total wet weight (g) S.length Standard length (mm) T.length Total length (mm) Gape Mouth gape (mm) GIT Wet weight of the dissected gastrointestinal tract (g) Parasites The number of Pomphorhynchus tereticollis parasites associated with the gastrointestinal tract Description Data collected during screening including the colour, morphology and maximum size (in units) of each suspected microplastic. Additional notes of interest were sometimes also made. * Fibre particle widths (in units) are often also included (e.g. W100) * “CONT” refers to suspected fragment contaminants that were excluded from counts * “LDT” indicates a suspected microplastic was lost during transfer to a new surface before FTIR analyses Sus.MPs The total number of suspected microplastics Bead:Fragment columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each morphology category Blu.Grn:Other columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each colour category Size.100:Size.5000 columns The total number of suspected microplastics for each size category %N Percentage nitrogen value d15N Delta 15 nitrogen value %C Percentage carbon value d13C Delta 13 carbon value S5-Polymers Data on the top scoring hits for suspected microplastics analysed using FTIR Note: Samples were simultaneously processed alongside those for another project and/or occasionally lost before they could be analysed. Some ID values are therefore absent. Data column(s) Details Cap.ID Batch identifier for the suspected microplastic Particle.ID Individual identifier for the suspected microplastic Sample Sample type the suspected microplastic originated from Sample.ID Sample identifier the suspected microplastic originated from Morphology Morphology of the suspected microplastic Colour Colour of the suspected microplastic Size.Units Maximum size (in units) of the suspected microplastic Scan.ID The ID of the spectra collected for each suspected microplastic Notes Any comments on features of the suspected microplastic as well as the width (in units) of fibres e.g. “W2” Match.1… Match.5 columns The top 5 highest scoring matches against reference spectra Score.1… Score.5 columns Match scores for the top 5 highest scoring matches against reference spectra Match Indicates whether the highest matching score was a successful hit (Score.1 ? 0.7) Best.hit Indicates the hit selected from the hit matches Polymer The larger category each “Best.hit” was later grouped into