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The Contamination of Microplastics in Mussel (Mytilus edulis), and Oyster (Crassostrea gigas): A Case Study from a Fish Market, Chonburi Province
Summary
Microplastics were found in mussels and oysters sold at a fish market in Thailand, with fibers and fragments being the most common types. Since bivalves are often eaten whole, this raises concerns about human ingestion of microplastics through seafood.
Contamination of plastic fragments smaller than 5 millimeters, known as microplastics, is a crucial global issue due to its possible negative impacts on the environment and human health. Currently, microplastics are found in seafood, especially in bivalves usually eaten whole without gut removal; hence, microplastics can enter the human body through the food chain. Although microplastic contamination in bivalves has been found in many countries worldwide, the information on microplastic contamination in bivalves sold in big fish markets in Thailand is still limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to gain a better understanding of microplastic contamination in domestic oysters ( Crassostrea gigas ) and mussels ( Mytilus edulis ) which are widely consumed by Thai people and sold in a major fish market in Thailand. The results revealed that the microplastic contamination in the mussels was approximately 9±3.55 particles/g or 46.60±15.70 particles/individual, and in the oysters was approximately 9.5±0.71 particles/g or 49.60±10 particles/individual. The average sizes of microplastics were 0.64±0.36 mm in the mussels and 0.28±0.22 mm in the oysters. The dominant shape of microplastics was the fragments found in both bivalves, accounting for 66.67% while another 33.33% was fiber found only in oysters. The microplastics found were black, white, and blue. Polyethylene (PE) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon: PTFE), two of the most detected microplastics, were found for about 50% in oysters and 25% in mussels. Additionally, Styrene (SAN), Polystyrene (PS) were found only in mussels for about 25%. In conclusion, this study indicated that the oysters and mussels sold in the top fish market in Thailand were highly contaminated with microplastics. Accordingly, the results from this study can be used to support further studies on exposure assessment and health risk assessment from ingestion of microplastics contaminated in the bivalves commonly consumed in Thailand. Keywords : contamination ; fish market ; microplastic ; mussel ; oyster