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Plastic pollution and marine mussels: Unravelling disparities in research efforts, biological effects and influences of global warming
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This review analyzed 106 studies on how plastic pollution, including microplastics, nanoplastics, and chemicals that leach from plastics, affects marine mussels. The research found effects at every biological level, from molecular and cellular damage to changes in behavior and reproduction. Since mussels are filter feeders that concentrate pollutants and are widely eaten by humans, they serve as both early warning indicators of plastic pollution and a direct pathway for human exposure.
The ever-growing contamination of the environment by plastics is a major scientific and societal concern. Specifically, the study of microplastics (1 μm to 5 mm), nanoplastics (< 1 μm), and their leachates is a critical research area as they have the potential to cause detrimental effects, especially when they impact key ecological species. Marine mussels, as ecosystem engineers and filter feeders, are particularly vulnerable to this type of pollution. In this study, we reviewed the 106 articles that focus on the impacts of plastic pollution on marine mussels. First, we examined the research efforts in terms of plastic characteristics (size, polymer, shape, and leachates) and exposure conditions (concentration, duration, species, life stages, and internal factors), their disparities, and their environmental relevance. Then, we provided an overview of the effects of plastics on mussels at each organisational levels, from the smaller scales (molecular, cellular, tissue and organ impacts) to the organism level (functional, physiological, and behavioural impacts) as well as larger-scale implications (associated community impacts). We finally discussed the limited research available on multi-stressor studies involving plastics, particularly in relation to temperature stress. We identified temperature as an underestimated factor that could shape the impacts of plastics, and proposed a roadmap for future research to address their combined effects. This review also highlights the impact of plastic pollution on mussels at multiple levels and emphasises the strong disparities in research effort and the need for more holistic research, notably through the consideration of multiple stressors, with a specific focus on temperature which is likely to become an increasingly relevant forcing factor in an era of global warming. By identifying critical gaps in current knowledge, we advocate for more coordinated interdisciplinary and international collaborations and raise awareness of the need for environmental coherence in the choice and implementation of experimental protocols.
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This study examined microplastic contamination in the tissues of Mytilus mussels from multiple coastal regions to assess how well mussels serve as bioindicators of environmental plastic pollution. Results helped clarify which environmental and physiological factors most influence microplastic uptake in these filter-feeding animals.
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Tiny plastic particles in the ocean can make harmful algal toxins stick around longer in mussels and cause more damage to their tissues than the toxins would alone. This matters because mussels are a food we eat, and these findings show that ocean pollution from microplastics could make seafood more dangerous by helping toxic chemicals accumulate and persist in the animals we harvest.
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This systematic review examines how common microplastics are in mussels, a popular seafood. Since mussels filter large volumes of water, they tend to accumulate microplastics, which means people who eat them may be exposed to these particles through their diet.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.