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Current and Historic Levels of Persistent (PAHs, PCBs) and Emerging Pollutant (Nano-microplastics or NMPs) Body-Burdens in Oysters and Fish from an Urban-Industrialized Estuary
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Researchers measured pollution levels in oysters and fish from Galveston Bay, a heavily industrialized waterway. Microplastic levels were far higher than older pollutants like PAHs and PCBs, and oysters contained more of all three pollutant types than fish muscle. This is among the first studies to measure microplastics in this area's fish and oysters using a newer testing method.
Abstract Galveston Bay is a highly urban‑industrialized system that drains the Houston metropolitan area and serves as a major hub for maritime transport and energy production. In this study, we compared the current and historic levels of persistent (PAHs, PCBs) and emerging pollutants (nano- and micro-plastics or NMPs) in biota (oysters, fish) sampled from Galveston Bay. Specifically, the concentrations of 14 EPA priority PAHs, 28 PCBs (including 11 dioxin-like PCBs), and 12 commonly used NMPs (700 nm − 5 mm) were measured in gill/mantle tissue of eastern oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ), and in the muscle and livers of Gafftopsail catfish ( Bagre marinus ), red drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus ), and spotted seatrout ( Cynoscion nebulosus ). GCMS was used for PAHs and PCBs quantification, and Py-GCMS/MS with lipid correction was used to quantify the NMPs. Overall, NMPs exhibited the highest body-burdens across all biota, ranging from two to four-orders of magnitude higher than PAHs and PCBs. Oysters also accumulated the highest concentrations of all pollutants relative to fish muscle (PAHs ≤ 2.4x, PCBs ≤ 19.2x, NMPs ≤ 278x higher). Source ratio analysis indicated mixed petrogenic and pyrogenic PAHs origins in Galveston Bay. Estimated human intake of NMPs was ≤ 443.90 mg NMP/kg body weight/year from the consumption of fish, and ≤ 309.98 mg NMP/kg body weight/year from oysters. A comparison of past and present body‑burden data showed that current PAH and PCB levels remain within previously reported ranges, while the relatively recent adoption of Py‑GCMS/MS enables the first quantified measurements of NMPs in Galveston Bay fish and demonstrates the method’s effectiveness for environmental monitoring. Future studies should investigate the long-term ecological impacts, food-web transfer, and human-health implications of NMP exposure, while expanding monitoring efforts to support contaminant management and conservation of estuarine resources.
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Current and Historic Levels of Persistent (PAHs, PCBs) and Emerging Pollutant (Nano- microplastics or NMPs) Body-Burdens in Oysters and Fish from an Urban-Industrialized Subtropical Estuary (Galveston Bay, TX, USA)
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Scientists tested oysters and fish from Galveston Bay, a heavily industrialized waterway near Houston, for both old-school pollutants (like chemicals from oil and industrial waste) and newer contaminants like tiny plastic particles called nano- and microplastics. Since people eat seafood from bays like this one, understanding what's building up in these creatures over time helps us gauge whether our seafood, and the water it comes from, is getting cleaner or dirtier, and what that means for our own exposure to these pollutants.
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Researchers compared multiple analytical methods to quantify nano- and microplastic contamination in wild eastern oysters from Galveston Bay, Texas. The study found up to 200 microplastic particles in individual oysters, with polymer composition varying by location within the bay, and demonstrated that different detection methods can yield complementary information about contamination levels.
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