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Comparative microplastic load in two decapod crustaceans Palinurus elephas (Fabricius, 1787) and Nephrops norvegicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Summary
Researchers compared microplastic contamination in two crustacean species, the European spiny lobster and the langoustine, collected from waters off Sardinia, Italy. The study found 100% microplastic occurrence in specimens of both species, with spiny lobsters being significantly more contaminated, and the scavenging-based feeding strategy of both species likely explaining their high exposure to microplastics derived primarily from single-use plastics.
The present work compares microplastics (MPs) contamination in two charismatic crustaceans: European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas and langoustine Nephrops norvegicus. Samples (P. elephas n = 14; N. norvegicus n = 15) were collected between 76 and 592 m depth, from four sites in west Sardinia, Italy. An extraction protocol was applied on stomachs and intestines, separately, and over 500 particles were further characterized through μFT-IR. We document 100 % occurrence in specimens from both species, with P. elephas being significantly more contaminated (9.1 ± 1.75 vs. 3.2 ± 0.45 MPs individual), ingesting larger MPs with different polymeric composition. The scavenging-based feeding strategy of both species could explain such exposure to MPs, mostly derived by single-use plastic. The overall results highlight that both species are clearly affected by plastic pollution, being valuable bioindicators and charismatic species that could thus represent excellent flagship species for raising awareness toward the global issue of plastic in the marine environment.