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Assessment of coastal pollutants and health status of Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) in the Bahía Blanca Estuary and adjacent beaches (Argentina)
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Researchers assessed the health of Pacific oysters from two coastal zones in Argentina with different levels of human activity, measuring metals, pesticides, microplastics, and other pollutants in their tissues. Oysters from the more industrialized estuary showed higher concentrations of metals and hydrocarbons, along with tissue damage and signs of cellular stress. The study highlights that even oysters from less impacted beaches contained detectable levels of multiple pollutants, pointing to the widespread nature of coastal contamination.
This study assessed the effects of pollutants on Magallana gigas along a coastal zone with different levels of human activity: a highly impacted zone in the Bahía Blanca Estuary and a less impacted zone on the adjacent sandy beaches. Oysters collected in 2021 were analyzed for various factors, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, microplastics, oxidative stress and histology. Oysters of both environments exhibited detectable concentrations of all these pollutants in their tissues. However, the estuarine oysters showed higher concentrations of Zn, Cu and As and total PAHs than the beach oysters. Banned organochlorine pesticides were detected only in beach oysters. Estuarine oysters displayed morphological changes in their digestive gland including a reduction in the mean epithelial thickness of the tubule and elevated lipid peroxidation levels, indicating cellular damage. This study underscores the widespread presence of pollutants in M. gigas, indicating the need for effective strategies to safeguard coastal ecosystem health.
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This first multi-compartment study of microplastics in the Bahia Blanca estuary, Argentina, simultaneously measured microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and two tissue types from the oyster Magallana gigas across three sites. Microplastics were detected in all compartments, with pollution load index analysis revealing elevated risk at sites nearest to urban and industrial activity.
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in surface water and whole tissue of Crassostrea gigas oysters at two sites in the Bahia Blanca estuary, a highly anthropized system in Argentina with major port, petrochemical, and urban wastewater inputs. MPs ranged from 6 to 50 items/L in water and 0 to 2 items/g wet weight in oyster tissue, with transparent and blue fibers predominating in both matrices.
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Researchers examined native oysters from the Paranagua estuarine system in Brazil for both microplastic contamination and heavy metal accumulation. They found high levels of microplastics in all oyster samples, along with elevated concentrations of several heavy metals, and observed potential interactions between the two pollutant types. The study raises concerns about the combined exposure risks from microplastics and heavy metals in seafood harvested from polluted estuaries.
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