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The pollution characteristics and risk assessment of microplastics in mollusks collected from the Bohai Sea
The Science of The Total Environment2023
30 citations
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Score: 60
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Scientists analyzed microplastic contamination in 21 species of shellfish from the Bohai Sea in China and found that about 92% of individual animals contained microplastics, mostly fibers. They estimated that people who eat these shellfish could consume roughly 3,400 microplastic particles per year. The study highlights that seafood from coastal waters is a meaningful source of microplastic exposure for humans, especially when organs like the digestive gland are eaten.
Microplastics (MPs) pollution in the marine environment has become a global problem. In this study, a number of 21 mollusk species (n = 2006) with different feeding habits were collected from 11 sites along the Bohai Sea for MPs uptake analysis. The MPs in mollusk samples were isolated and identified by micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FTIR), and an assessment of the health risks of MPs ingested by mollusk consumption is also conducted. Approximately 91.9 % of the individuals among all the collected species inhaled MPs, and there was an average abundance of 3.30 ± 2.04 items·individual or 1.04 ± 0.74 items·g of wet weight. The shape of MPs was mainly fiber, and a total number of 8 polymers were detected, of which rayon had the highest detection rate (58.3 %). The highest abundance, uptake rate and polymer composition of MPs was observed in creeping types, suggesting that they might ingest these MPs from their food. The gastropod Siphonalia subdilatata contains the highest levels of MPs, which may increase the risk of human exposure if consumed whole without removing the digestive gland. The polymer risk level of MPs in these mollusks was Level III (H = 299), presenting harmful MPs such as polyvinyl chloride. In terms of human exposure risk, the average risk of human exposure to MPs through consumption of Bohai mollusks is estimated to be 3399 items·(capita·year) (424-9349 items·(capita·year)). Overall, this study provides a basis for the ecological and health Risk assessment of MPs in mollusks collected from the coastline of China.