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An Analysis of Major and Trace Element Pollution Caused by Plastic Litter Using Atactodea striata (Gmelin, 1791) in Yonaguni Island, Okinawa
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This study compared trace element concentrations in the bivalve Atactodea striata collected from a plastic-littered beach and a relatively clean beach in Yonaguni Island, Okinawa. Higher levels of aluminum, nickel, zinc, and lead were found at the plastic-polluted site, suggesting plastic litter contributes to heavy metal contamination.
In this study, the major and trace element pollution from plastics was evaluated by comparing the elemental concentrations in Atactodea striata (Gmelin, 1791) collected from Nama Beach with a lot of plastic litter and Kataburu Beach with little plastic litter in Yonaguni Island, Okinawa. The pollution was also analyzed by focusing on the difference in the amount of plastic litter depending on the season. The results of the pollution analysis using the difference of the amount of plastic litter between the sites suggested the plastic-derived pollution of Al, Ni, Zn and Pb in the analysis of muscle tissue, and the pollution of Al, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in the analysis of internal organs tissue. Furthermore, the analysis of the pollution using the seasonal difference of the amount of plastic litter suggested that Al, Mn, Zn and Ba were transferred from plastics to organisms in the analysis of internal organs tissue. Al, Mn, Zn and Ba have a high ability to leach from plastic litter in acidic solvents, so it was suggested that such elements can be transferred from plastic to organisms. In addition, Al, Mn, and Zn, which were suggested to be contaminated in both analysis using inter-site and inter-seasonal differences in the amount of plastic litter, were shown to be highly likely to have accumulated in the Atactodea striata from plastics.
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Researchers conducted the first study of heavy metal contamination on microplastics found on sandy beaches in Hong Kong. They found that polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene were the most common plastic types, with iron, zinc, and manganese being the most concentrated metals. Samples from western Hong Kong sites near the Pearl River had significantly higher metal concentrations, suggesting the river is a major source of heavy metals on microplastics.
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