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Abundance and Distribution of Microplastics in Invertebrate and Fish Species and Sediment Samples along the German Wadden Sea Coastline
Summary
Researchers collected 1,585 invertebrates, 310 fish, and 12 sediment cores from 10 sites along the German Wadden Sea coast to assess microplastic contamination using Nile red fluorescence microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Microplastics were found in all species and sites, with contamination rates of 79-94% across species and sediment concentrations up to 8,128 particles/kg, identifying Mytilus edulis and Platichthys flesus as the most suitable monitoring species.
Monitoring strategies are becoming increasingly important as microplastic contamination increases. To find potentially suitable organisms and sites for biota monitoring in the German Wadden Sea, we collected invertebrates (n = 1585), fish (n = 310), and sediment cores (n = 12) at 10 sites along the coast of Lower Saxony between 2018 and 2020. For sample processing of biota, the soft tissue was digested and the sediment samples additionally underwent a subsequent density separation step. Microplastic particles were identified using Nile red and fluorescence microscopy, followed by polymer composition analysis of a subset of particles via µRaman spectroscopy. All investigated species, sediment cores, and sites contained microplastics, predominantly in the morphology class of fragments. Microplastics were found in 92% of Arenicola marina, 94% of Littorina littorea, 85% of Mytilus edulis, and 79% of Platichthys flesus, ranging from 0 to 248.1 items/g. Sediment core samples contained MPs ranging from 0 to 8128 part/kg dry weight of sediment. In total, eight polymers were identified, predominantly consisting of polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, and polyethylene terephthalate. Considering the sampling, processing, and results, the species Mytilus edulis and Platichthys flesus are suitable species for future microplastic monitoring in biota.
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