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Microplastics in rocky shore mollusks of different feeding habits: An assessment of sentinel performance
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Researchers examined microplastic levels in three types of rocky shore mollusks with different feeding habits along a pollution gradient in Brazil. Filter-feeding oysters accumulated the most microplastics, followed by plant-eating limpets and meat-eating snails, suggesting that how an animal feeds affects how much plastic it ingests. The study proposes that all three species could serve as useful sentinel organisms for monitoring microplastic contamination in coastal areas.
Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in rocky shore organisms has limited knowledge. This study investigated MPs accumulation in filter-feeding oysters, herbivorous limpets and carnivorous snails to assess their performance as sentinel species in the MPs trophic transfer. The samples were obtained along a contamination gradient in the Santos Estuarine System, Brazil. All three studied species showed MPs concentrations related to the contamination gradient, being the oysters the species that showed the highest levels, followed by limpets and snails (average of less and most contaminated sites of 1.06-8.90, 2.28-5.69 and 0.44-2.10 MP g, respectively), suggesting that MPs ingestion rates are linked to feeding habits. MPs were mainly polystyrene and polyacetal. The polymer types did not vary among sites nor species. Despite minor differences in percentages and diversity of size, shape, and color classes, the analyzed species were equally able to demonstrate dominance of small, fiber, transparent, black and blue MPs. Thus, oysters, limpets, and snails are proposed as sentinels of MPs in monitoring assessments.
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Microplastic ingestion and feeding ecology in three intertidal mollusk species from Lima, Peru
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Three intertidal mollusk species from the coast of Lima, Peru were assessed for microplastic ingestion in relation to their feeding ecology. The study found microplastics in all three species, with ingestion levels varying by feeding strategy and local contamination levels.
Oysters and mussels as equivalent sentinels of microplastics and natural particles in coastal environments
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Researchers compared how oysters and mussels accumulate microplastics in a polluted Brazilian estuary and found both species performed equally well as biological monitors of contamination. Some of the highest microplastic levels ever recorded in shellfish were found at the most polluted sites. Since oysters and mussels are widely consumed as seafood, these contamination levels raise direct concerns about human microplastic exposure through shellfish consumption.
Peran Organisme Sessile Sebagai Bioindikator Mikroplastik Di Ekosistem Pesisir: Systematic Literature Review
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This systematic literature review synthesizes evidence on how sessile coastal organisms — particularly bivalves like mussels and oysters — accumulate microplastics through their filter-feeding behavior, making them useful biological indicators of contamination. The review found that fibers dominate across most species and locations, and that polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET are the most common polymer types. Because these organisms are widely consumed by humans and are sensitive to environmental changes, they serve as both ecological sentinels and a potential pathway for microplastic exposure in human diets.
Habitual feeding patterns impact polystyrene microplastic abundance and potential toxicity in edible benthic mollusks
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This study examined how different feeding strategies in edible mollusks affect how many microplastics they accumulate and how toxic the effects are. Researchers found that deposit-feeding snails and filter-feeding clams accumulated microplastics differently, with distinct impacts on digestive enzymes, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity markers. The findings suggest that a shellfish species' feeding behavior directly influences the microplastic contamination risk for both the animal and human consumers.
Oyster as sentinels of recent microplastic contamination: Insights from a transplant experiment
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Researchers used oyster transplantation experiments to study how microplastics accumulate and are excreted in sentinel organisms under field-realistic conditions. The study found that bivalves can serve as effective biomonitors of recent microplastic contamination in coastal ecosystems. The findings help fill knowledge gaps about the dynamics of microplastic uptake and clearance in marine filter feeders.
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