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Investigating microplastic contamination in american lobster (homarus americanus) from mi'kma'ki (nova scotia), canada
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the tail muscle tissue of commercial American lobsters (Homarus americanus) collected from four regions of Nova Scotia, Canada, characterizing particle counts, sizes, and polymer types alongside heavy metal analysis of the same tissue. The study aimed to fill a significant gap in Canadian fisheries microplastics data, given that lobster represents the country's largest fishing industry, with preliminary findings generating baseline contamination data.
Global plastic production is ever-increasing and consequently, so is plastic pollution. As plastics move through the environment, they break down into micro-sized pieces called microplastics. These particles can contain harmful additives and carry surrounding contaminants with them. Microplastics are ingested by various marine organisms, such as lobsters. Ingestion occurs when microplastics are mistaken for food, following consumption of contaminated prey, and simply due to their abundance within the environment. Existing studies have consistently found large plastics and microplastics within lobsters, though most studies are not from within Canada, focus more on non-muscle tissues, and few have investigated the presence of microplastic-associated contaminants. This lack of knowledge represents a gap in commercial fisheries microplastics research, especially as lobster is the largest fishing industry in Canada. My objective is to measure the extent and characterize microplastic contamination in commercial American lobsters' tail tissue collected from four regions of Nova Scotia, Canada. I will determine the number of microplastics, particle sizes, and types of plastics present within this tissue. To investigate associated microplastic contaminants, the tissue will also be analyzed for common heavy metals. My research will generate some of the first data on microplastic contamination in lobsters within Canada. I hope to provide valuable information to fisheries microplastic research, policy, and management focused on protecting the health of lobsters, other commercial marine species, and seafood consumers. Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/426877/document
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Microplastic contamination in edible American lobster (Homarus americanus) muscle tissue
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Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in the edible muscle tissue of American lobsters from four commercial fishing sites in Nova Scotia, Canada. All lobsters examined contained microplastics at a mean concentration of 6.65 particles per gram of wet tissue, with smaller lobsters showing higher concentrations and the most common particles being small enough to potentially translocate within tissues.
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Researchers compiled a species occurrence dataset of 289 records from GBIF documenting microplastics found in American lobster (Homarus americanus) and mussel species from coastal southwestern New Brunswick, Canada, providing baseline data on plastic contamination in commercially important shellfish.
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Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in wild and cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Nova Scotia, assessing how plastic contamination varies between farmed and wild bivalves in Canadian coastal waters.
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