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Assessment of microplastic hazards in Penaeus vannamei shrimp in a typical estuary of China: polymer composition, risk assessment, and health implications
Summary
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in whiteleg shrimp from the Jiulong River estuary in China, finding five polymer types at 0.46 particles/g, with PVC comprising only 5.52% by count but contributing 98.11% of the total hazard risk index due to its toxic chemical additives. The disproportionate hazard posed by PVC despite its low abundance in farmed shrimp has direct food-safety implications, as commercially important shellfish in estuarine aquaculture systems are accumulating high-risk plastics consumed by people globally.
Penaeus vannamei, known as the whiteleg shrimp, holds significant economic importance in aquaculture. The intensive culture of P. vannamei poses substantial environmental risks, particularly in fragile ecosystems like estuarine mangroves. Although there is a consensus on the pollution and harmful effects of microplastics (MPs), study on the pollution and potential risks posed by P. vannamei in estuary mangroves remains scarce. Therefore, the extent of microplastic pollution was evaluated and the correlation between the properties of MPs and the potential risks they pose to P. vannamei was examined. The average MP abundance in P. vannamei from Jiulong River estuary was determined to be 0.46±0.03 n/g in five different polymers, i.e., polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride resin (PVC). The total percentage of PS, PE, and PET polymers was the greatest (73.85%), where PET and PP (26.16%) were highly correlated in size and shape. Small MPs (1–200 µm) come in irregular particles, fragments, films, and large-sized MPs (200–1 000 µm) were mainly foam-shaped. The hazard risk level of MPs in P. vannamei from Jiulong River estuary reached grade III, and the overall hazard risk index (H) value was 593.66. Among all samples, PVC polymer accounted for the lowest proportion (5.52%), but the H value was as high as 582.42, which contributed 98.11% to the overall hazard risk index. Regardless of global or Chinese, the microplastic pollution of P. vannamei in the estuary is at a moderate level. The protocol for MPs characteristics and correlation in seafood should be the basis for the risk assessment framework. Further studies are needed to evaluate how the exposure to MPs poses a risk for human health.