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Microplastic accumulation, depuration dynamics and localization in environmental compartments: combination of experimental set ups and field studies
Summary
Researchers tracked microplastic accumulation and depuration in multiple environmental compartments and marine organisms using controlled microcosm experiments. The study found that particles distribute differently across sediment, water, and biota, and that biological depuration is incomplete within realistic timeframes.
Microplastics (MPs) have been documented in all marine environmental compartments and have been identified as a growing hazard to marine biota. This study aimed to understand the fate of MPs in different environmental compartments and their interaction with biota through microcosm experiments and a biomonitoring program. MP depuration dynamics and accumulation patterns were assessed in target tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis mussel, Hediste diversicolor polychaete, and Palaemon serratus shrimp. Organisms were exposed to different sized polystyrene MPs (1, 5, 10 μm) at different concentrations (103-105 particles/mL) up to 5 days, and left depurating for 7 and 14 days. Regarding field study, water, sediment and biota were sampled seasonally during one year in the Urdaibai estuary. Samples were then subjected to quantitative (alkaline digestion and filtration) and qualitative (cryosectioning) examination under fluorescence microscope, and MPs were analyzed by μ-Raman image spectroscopy. After microcosm experiments, all species accumulated MPs spiked in the water column and sediment irrespective of their habitat, proving the occurrence of MP vertical transference between environmental compartments. The accumulation in tissues was MP dose and size-dependent. Regarding depuration, mussels were able to remove a large amount of MPs, with a significant reduction for small particles. However, in polychaetes the accumulation of MPs increased significantly compared to exposure. For shrimps, no discernible reduction in MPs occurred after depuration. MPs were found mainly in the lumen and epithelia of the digestive tract of mussels, in the hindgut lumen of polychaetes, and in the lumen of the digestive tract of shrimps. Regarding biomonitoring, mussels did not show seasonal accumulation of MPs neither differences among sites. Transparent PET fibres were the predominant MPs found in wild mussels. This study enable to get deeper knowledge on the occurrence and fate of MPs in marine ecosystems. Funded: Basque Government (IT1743-22, IT- 1446-22) and MICINN (PID2020-118685RB-I00). Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559508/document
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