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Baseline survey of microplastics in Phallusia nigra (Ascidiacea) in different sites along the Brazilian Coast, Central, and Southwest Atlantic

Ocean and Coastal Research 2025 Score: 38 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Paulo Cezar Azevedo da Silva, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Paulo Cezar Azevedo da Silva, Paulo Cezar Azevedo da Silva, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Paulo Cezar Azevedo da Silva, Paulo Cezar Azevedo da Silva, M. Almeida, M. Almeida, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Rayane Sorrentino, Luís Felipe Skinner Luís Felipe Skinner Luís Felipe Skinner Rayane Sorrentino, Luís Felipe Skinner Luís Felipe Skinner Rayane Sorrentino, Luís Felipe Skinner Luís Felipe Skinner Luís Felipe Skinner Luís Felipe Skinner

Summary

Researchers conducted a baseline survey of microplastic accumulation in the tropical ascidian Phallusia nigra collected from different sites, finding that this filter-feeding tunicate accumulates MPs and can serve as a bioindicator of marine microplastic contamination in tropical coastal ecosystems.

Polymers

PA PE PP nylon

Body Systems

Digestive

Microplastics (MPs) pose a growing threat to marine ecosystems, yet their accumulation in tropical ascidians remains understudied. This study investigated MPs in the digestive tract of Phallusia nigra from 15 sites along the Brazilian coast (75 individuals). Tissues were digested by alkaline solution, and MPs were quantified, measured, and characterized via microscopy and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. MPs were detected in 64% of individuals (mean: 1.21 particles/individual), predominantly as fragments (63%) and fibers (37%), with an average of 0.77 ± 0.81 MP/g. The most abundant polymers were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and nylon (PA), consistent with global coastal pollution trends. The prevalence of PE, PP, and PA, polymers widely linked to fishing gear, packaging, and sewage, underscores the role of anthropogenic sources in tropical marine pollution. Besides these findings, this study emphasizes the need for standardized methodologies to assess MPs impacts on understudied filter-feeders and the urgency of extending monitoring efforts to tropical ecosystems.

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