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Microplastic sink that cannot be ignored in chemosynthetic organisms
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Researchers found microplastics in both mussels and squat lobsters collected from a cold seep chemosynthetic ecosystem in the South China Sea — a deep-sea environment previously unstudied for plastic pollution — with fibrous polyester particles dominating, suggesting cold-seep organisms may act as a biological sink for marine microplastics.
Marine microplastic (MP) pollution is a widespread concern; however, to date, MP pollution in chemoautotrophic ecosystems remains largely unknown. This study focuses on the cold seep in the South China Sea. Two dominant species, namely mussel (Gigantidas platifrons) and squat lobster (Shinkaia crosnieri), were collected for examining the MP pollution. MPs were present in both mussels and squat lobsters with abundances of 0.13 ± 0.04 and 0.17 ± 0.06 items/ind., respectively. MPs were mainly fibrous (62.5 %) and transparent (45.8 %). The main polymer type was polyester (54.2 %). About 86.5 MPs/m were found inhabiting mussels and squat lobsters-a value comparable to those reported in benthos. This pilot report on MP pollution in cold-seep species provides key information for studies on MP pollution in chemoautotrophic ecosystems and evidence regarding a potential biological MP sink. The role of cold-seep organisms in MP retention and transport in the regional sea merits further attention.
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Researchers documented the first record of microplastic ingestion in cold-seep organisms at 1,155 m depth in the South China Sea, finding ingestion rates above 80% in both Gigantidas platifrons mussels and Shinkaia crosnieri squat lobsters, with polyethylene fibers in the 500-1000 micrometer range predominating.
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Sampling the Haima cold seep in the South China Sea, researchers found that microplastic abundance in the water column increased with methane seepage strength, while the carbon content of microplastics varied with depth and seepage activity. The study suggests that deep-sea cold seeps act as sinks for microplastics and that microbial communities in these oxygen-poor environments may process carbon from plastic particles in ways not yet well understood.
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This study traced the century-long history of microplastic deposition in Haima cold seep sediments in the South China Sea, finding that burial rates have increased exponentially since mass plastic production began. The cold seep environment, characterized by methane-rich fluid seepage, is described as a long-term accumulation sink for microplastics.
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