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Microplastics in marine mussels, biological effects and human risk of intake: A case study in a multi-stressor environment
Summary
Researchers tracked microplastic contamination in mussels from the Douro estuary in Portugal across seasons and estimated that people who eat mussels from this area consume about 2,400 to 2,650 microplastic particles per year. While the contamination levels were relatively low compared to other studies, the mussels still showed signs of biological stress. This study provides one of the first direct estimates of how many microplastics people ingest through shellfish consumption.
This study documented seasonal levels of microplastics (MPs) and biomarkers (condition index, neurotoxicity, energy, oxidative stress) in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), and water physico-chemical parameters in the Douro estuary (NE Atlantic coast), and estimated the human risk of MP intake (HRI) through mussels. Mussel stress was determined through the Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR). HRI was estimated from mussel MP concentrations and consumer habits. MPs were mainly micro-fibres (72 %) with varied chemical composition. Seasonal MP means (±SEM) in mussels ranged from 0.111 ± 0.044 (spring) to 0.312 ± 0.092 MPs/g (summer). Seasonal variations of mussel stress (IBR: 1.4 spring to 9.7 summer) and MP concentrations were not related. MeO-BDEs, PBDEs, temperature, salinity and other factors likely contributed to mussel stress variation. HRI ranged from 2438 to 2650 MPs/year. Compared to the literature, MP contamination in mussels is low, as well as the human risk of MP intake through their consumption.