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Enrichment Characteristics of Microplastics and Heavy Metals Accumulated in Bivalves in South Yellow Sea
Summary
Researchers analyzed three species of bivalves from the South Yellow Sea and found microplastics in all of them, averaging about nine particles per individual. The most common types were transparent fibers made of polyamide, and while heavy metals like zinc were also present, there was no clear statistical link between microplastic and heavy metal concentrations in the animals.
Microplastics and heavy metals are ubiquitous pollutants in marine ecosystems, and their combined effects pose a risk to aquatic life and potentially to humans. In this study, microplastics and heavy metals were investigated in different organs of three bivalve species (Crassostrea ariakensis, Mactra veneriformis and Sinonovacula constricta) from the South Yellow Sea. The mean abundance of bivalves microplastics was 8.97 ± 4.63 items/individual, 3.53 ± 2.13 items/g wet weight. Transparent-coloured fibrous small-sized microplastics were the dominant type. PA is the primary polymer component. The heavy metals were more contaminated with Zn, but there is no statistically significant correlation between microplastics and heavy metals. Overall, this study indicates that both microplastics and heavy metals are present in all three species. These findings emphasize the urgent need for immediate attention to environmental monitoring and public health intervention measures to address the growing threat of heavy metals and microplastics.
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