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Microplastic burden in invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) increases along a stream urbanization gradient
Summary
Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of invasive signal crayfish at every site along a stream gradient from rural to urban, with concentrations rising as more of the upstream area was developed — and detected microplastics in crayfish tail muscle tissue for the first time. Because crayfish are important prey for many species, their accumulation of microplastics in both gut and tissue suggests these pollutants can move through freshwater food chains more broadly than previously recognized.
Microplastics are a globally pervasive pollutant with the potential to directly impact species and accumulate in ecosystems. However, there remains a relative paucity of research addressing their accumulation in freshwater ecosystems and a near absence of work in crayfish, despite their high ecological and economic importance. This study investigated the presence of microplastics in the invasive signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus along a stream urbanization gradient. The results demonstrate a ubiquitous presence of microplastics in crayfish digestive tracts at all sites and provide the first evidence of microplastic accumulation in tail tissue. Evidence of a positive linear trend was demonstrated between microplastic concentration in crayfish and upstream urban area size in generalized linear models. Evidence for a positive effect of the upstream urban area and a negative effect of crayfish length on microplastic concentrations in crayfish was demonstrated in multiple generalized linear regression models. Our results extend the current understanding of microplastics presence in freshwater ecosystems and demonstrate their presence in crayfish in the wild for the first time.