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Nylon microfibers develop a distinct plastisphere but have no apparent effects on the gut microbiome or gut tissue status in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis
Summary
Researchers exposed blue mussels to low concentrations of nylon microfibers for 21 days and found no apparent damage to gut tissues or disruption of the gut microbiome. While the nylon fibers developed a distinct microbial community on their surface compared to natural particles, the mussels' internal microbial communities remained stable. The study suggests that at low environmental concentrations, nylon microfibers may have limited short-term effects on mussel digestive health.
Ingestion of microplastics (MP) by suspension-feeding bivalves has been well-documented. However, it is unclear whether exposure to MP could damage the stomach and digestive gland (gut) of these animals, causing ramifications for organism and ecosystem health. Here, we show no apparent effects of nylon microfiber (MF) ingestion on the gut microbiome or digestive tissues of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis. We exposed mussels to two low concentrations (50 and 100 particles/L) of either nylon MF or Spartina spp. particles (dried, ground marsh grass), ca. 250-500 μm in length, or a no particle control laboratory treatment for 21 days. Results showed that nylon MF, when aged in coarsely filtered seawater, developed a different microbial community than Spartina spp. particles and seawater, however, even after exposure to this different community, mussel gut microbial communities resisted disturbance from nylon MF. The microbial communities of experimental mussels clustered together in ordination and were similar in taxonomic composition and measures of alpha diversity. Additionally, there was no evidence of damage to gut tissues after ingestion of nylon MF or Spartina spp. Post-ingestive particle processing likely mediated a short gut retention time of these relatively large particles, contributing to the negligible treatment effects.