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Transfer of microplastics from a freshwater mussel (Megalonaias nervosa) to a snail (Planorbella pilbsryi) raw data
Summary
Scientists found that tiny plastic bits (microplastics) eaten by freshwater mussels don't just disappear—they get pooped out and then eaten by snails, showing how plastic pollution can move up the food chain from one creature to another. Interestingly, the type of plastic mattered a lot: microplastic fibers were more harmful to snail survival than tiny plastic beads, suggesting shape and size affect how dangerous these particles are, not just whether they're present. While this study focused on mussels and snails rather than humans, it's a reminder that microplastics in waterways can accumulate and pass between species, a process that ultim
This is the raw data that is linked to the study titled "Transfer of microplastics from a freshwater mussel (Megalonaias nervosa) to a snail (Planorbella pilbsryi)". Microplastics (<5 mm) are pervasive freshwater contaminants whose physical characteristics influence ingestion patterns and trophic availability in aquatic organisms. This study examined how microplastic shape affects egestion by the freshwater mussel Megalonaias nervosa, and whether mussel waste-coated microplastics alter bioavailability to the freshwater snail Planorbella pilbsryi compared to pristine particles. Mussels were individually exposed to 61 µm red polyester microfibres, 79 µm blue polyester microfibres or 6 µm red polystyrene microspheres. Microplastic-enriched mussel waste was subsequently used in 28-day P. pilbsryi exposures alongside pristine microplastics to assess ingestion, survival and reproductive endpoints. Particle shape and size significantly influenced mussel egestion, with microspheres more abundant in waste than either microfibre type. Mussel waste coating affected snail ingestion only for blue polyester microfibres, while pristine blue polyester microfibres significantly reduced survival after 14 days of exposure. No microplastic treatment, pristine or waste-coated, affected snail reproductive output negatively. These findings suggest mussel waste may influence P. pilsbryi microplastic ingestion and confirm P. pilsbryi will consume microplastic-containing mussel waste. However, particle-specific differences in ingestion and toxicity endpoints underscore the importance of testing multiple, environmentally relevant microplastic types in laboratory studies, as microfibres and microspheres elicited distinct biological responses.