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Detection of Microplastics in the Gonads and Coelomic Fluid of Edible Sea Urchin Species and Its Hazard Assessment from Four Different Sea Urchin Beds
Summary
Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the edible parts of sea urchins — including their gonads, which are the "uni" delicacy people actually eat — collected off the coast of India. These plastics also carried traces of metals like arsenic and copper, meaning that eating sea urchin could expose people to both plastic particles and adsorbed toxic metals together. While more research is needed to know exactly how risky this is for human health, the findings raise real food safety concerns for a seafood considered a delicacy worldwide.
Sea urchins serve as valuable bioindicators of marine environmental health. Also they are an important food resource, with their gonads considered a delicacy in many countries. This study examined the abundance, composition, and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in four edible sea urchin species (Stomopneustes variolaris, Echinothrix diadema, Tripneustes gratilla, and Salmacis bicolor) collected from four ecologically distinct sea urchin beds along the southwest coast of India. Sampling was conducted over a 2-year period, including three seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon. MPs were analysed in water, sediment, and different tissues of sea urchins including the gut, coelomic fluid, and gonads from all sea urchin beds. MPs were detected in all tissues examined, with the highest concentrations observed in the gut, ranging from 0.17 ± 0.05 to 15.40 ± 2.7 items/g, representing the overall minimum and maximum values. Notably, the presence of MPs in the gonads of all species raises significant concerns regarding food safety. SEM–EDAX analysis revealed that MPs isolated from water and sediment carried trace metals such as Fe, Cu, Ti, Ba, As, Sr, Sb, and Al. MPs from sea urchins contained As, Fe, Cu, and Al, indicating potential metal adsorption and possible trophic transfer. The sea urchin species Stomopneustes variolaris and Tripneustes gratilla exhibited the highest Microplastic Pollution Index (MPI) values, reflecting greater bioavailability of MPs in species with contrasting feeding strategies and habitat preferences. This study provides the first multi-species, multi-tissue assessment of MPs in edible sea urchins from the region.