We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Ingestion and adherence of microplastics by estuarine mysid shrimp
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how estuarine mysid shrimp ingest and accumulate microplastics both internally and on their external body surfaces. The study found microplastics in the shrimp's bodies and fecal pellets, and feeding experiments revealed that these organisms readily consume plastic particles, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through marine food webs.
Microplastics have been reported to be present in zooplankton, yet questions persist regarding their fate and dynamics within biota. We selected the commercial mysid shrimp, Mesopodopsis orientalis, as the focal zooplankton for this study due to their crucial role in our study area, the Inner Gulf of Thailand in January 2022. We investigated the presence of microplastics in mysid bodies and fecal pellets, examining both attached microplastics on external body parts and those ingested. In addition, we conducted microplastic feeding experiments, exposing mysids to various treatments of microplastics. The results of the field investigation indicate that mysids exhibited an average of 0.12 ± 0.03 microplastic items/mysid from whole-body samples. The shape, type, and color of microplastics found in mysids were similar to those present in seawater, with blue PET microfibers being the most prevalent. Our observations on live mysids revealed that microplastics were acquired through ingestion and adherence to appendages and exoskeletons. Microplastics were observed in mysid's fecal pellets at 0.09 ± 0.03 items/mysid, while microplastics adhering to the mysid's body and appendages were observed at 0.10 ± 0.04 items/mysid. The sizes of microplastics extracted from preserved mysids ranged from 58 μm to 4669 μm, with median of 507 μm. The laboratory experiments revealed that the presence of microalgae enhanced microplastic ingestion in mysids; microplastics incubated with a cyanobacterium, Oscillatoria sp., and diatom Navicula sp. significantly increased the number of microplastic particles ingested by mysids. This study showed that microplastics can be more ingested in mysids, especially when food items are present. Microplastic fate in these animals may involve expulsion into the environment or adherence, potentially facilitating their transfer up the marine food web.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic contamination in brown shrimp (Crangon crangon, Linnaeus 1758) from coastal waters of the Southern North Sea and Channel area
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined brown shrimp caught from the North Sea and found microplastics in their digestive tracts, documenting contamination in a commercially important crustacean consumed widely by humans in northern Europe.
Coping with the “dirt”: brown shrimp and the microplastic threat
AI summary Read the abstract
Field sampling found brown shrimp from the North Sea contained between 51 and hundreds of microparticles in their stomachs, and lab experiments showed the particles distributed throughout the digestive system. The study reveals that brown shrimp — a commercially important species — accumulate substantial microplastics in their natural habitat.
Shrimp and microplastics: A case study with the Atlantic ditch shrimp Palaemon varians
AI summary Read the abstract
The Atlantic ditch shrimp Palaemon varians was exposed to microplastics in the laboratory, with the study documenting ingestion, egestion, and retention of particles along with physiological responses. The case study illustrates the processes by which coastal invertebrates interact with microplastics and highlights shrimp as informative model organisms for plastic pollution research.
Abundance and characterization of microplastics in amphipods from the Japanese coastal environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found high levels of microplastic ingestion in coastal amphipods from Japan, with up to 76 particles per individual and 83% of particles smaller than 90 µm, predominantly polyethylene, raising concerns about microplastic transfer through coastal food webs.
Microplastics uptake and accumulation in the digestive system of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii
AI summary Read the abstract
Lab experiments with Harris mud crabs showed the crabs readily ingested microplastics, which accumulated in their digestive systems. While plastic exposure did not significantly affect crab growth during the experiment, the findings confirm that crustaceans in brackish estuaries can ingest and retain microplastics.
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.