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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Human Health Effects
Marine & Wildlife
Nanoplastics
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Pearl farming micro-nanoplastics affect both oyster physiology and pearl quality
2023
Score: 40
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Pearl oysters (Pinctada margaritifera) in French Polynesia were exposed to micro-nanoplastics derived from actual farming equipment over a five-month production cycle, and the plastics disrupted the oysters' energy metabolism and altered the crystal structure of growing pearls. The study demonstrates that microplastic contamination in lagoons poses a real economic threat to the pearl industry alongside its ecological impacts.
<title>Abstract</title> The widespread contamination of pearl farming lagoons in French Polynesia by microplastics has led to questions about risks for the pearl industry. The aim of this study was to test the effects of micro-nanoplastics (MNPs) on the pearl oyster ( <italic>Pinctada margaritifera</italic> ) over a 5-month pearl production cycle. MNPs were produced from plastic pearl farming gear and used at a concentration that oysters may encounter in lagoons. MNP exposure led to the alteration of energy metabolism, mostly driven by a lower assimilation efficiency of microalgae, with modulation of gene expression patterns. Pearl biomineralization was impacted by thinner aragonite crystals, with harvest marked by the presence of abnormal biomineral concretions, called keshi pearls. These experimental results demonstrated that MNPs threaten pearl oyster biology, with potential detrimental effects on pearl quality. Ecological approaches are now required to test the holistic impact of MNPs on population sustainability in the Polynesian pearl industry.