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Chemical fingerprint of plastic litter in sediments and holothurians from Croatia: Assessment & relation to different environmental factors
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Sea cucumbers from Croatian island sediments contained microplastics and semi-synthetic fibers, showing that these benthic animals ingest particles from the seafloor. As sea cucumbers are a commercially harvested species, their contamination has direct implications for human dietary exposure to microplastics.
This paper increases knowledge on litter transfer from sediments towards the trophic web throughout sea cucumbers, key protected benthic species. In October, sediment and holothurian samples from seventeen sampling sites from Croatian Islands characterized by different levels of protection (Silba n = 7; Telašćica MPA n = 10) were collected. Collected particles ranged in sediments within 113.4-377.8 items/kg d.w., and in holothurians within 0.6-9.4 items/animal, showing sizes within 1.4-10,493 μm. In holothurians, cellulose and cellulose acetate (non-synthetic materials) mean percentages were within 5.0-12.7% of the total amount of particles. Nylon fibres ranged within 0-26.7%; while PP, PE, PA, and PS% were more abundant than in sediments. Among factors of variability tested, "island group" and "level of protection" resulted to affect plastic composition in sediments. Otherwise, other environmental factors (i.e. orientation, morphology of sampling site, P. oceanica) were significantly related to chemical composition of microplastic ingested by holothurians.
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Sea cucumbers collected from the seafloor around a Sicilian island were found to contain microplastics in their bodies, having ingested them while feeding on sediment. Since sea cucumbers are consumed as food in many cultures, this represents a direct pathway for microplastic exposure in humans.
Evaluation of Microplastics Ingested by Sea Cucumber Holothuria Scabra from Pulau Jambongan, Sabah
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Researchers found 7,403 microplastic particles in the digestive tracts of 30 sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) collected from a Malaysian island, with 99% being fibers and the dominant polymer being polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The high contamination level indicates significant marine pollution in the region and shows that bottom-dwelling sea cucumbers — which process large volumes of sediment — are especially exposed to microplastic accumulation. This is relevant to seafood safety since sea cucumbers are commercially harvested for human consumption.
The density of microplastic in sea cucumber (Holothuria sp.) and sediment at Tidung Besar and Bira Besar island, Jakarta
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Sea cucumbers from Jakarta's Tidung Besar and Bira Besar islands were found to contain microplastics in their tissues, with concentrations correlated to levels in surrounding sediments. Because sea cucumbers ingest sediment while feeding, they accumulate microplastics in proportion to local environmental contamination.
Micro and Macroplastics Analysis in the Digestive Tract of a Sea Cucumber (Holothuriidae, Holothuria floridana) of the Placencia Lagoon, Belize
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Microplastics and macroplastics were found in the digestive tracts of sea cucumbers from the Placencia Lagoon in Belize, the first such documentation in the Caribbean region, with fragments and fibers present and the sediment-feeding behavior of holothurians making them effective environmental monitors of benthic plastic pollution.
Microplastic (MP) contamination in sea cucumbers (Class: Holothuroidea): a review of abundances, distribution, polymer characteristics, and human health implications.
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Sea cucumbers, a popular seafood in many parts of the world, are absorbing tiny plastic particles called microplastics from ocean sediment as they feed—this review pulled together findings from 41 studies to show just how widespread the problem is. The plastics found were mostly tiny fibers and fragments from common materials like polyethylene (used in bags and bottles), and eating contaminated sea cucumbers could be a hidden way these plastics end up in our diets. While scientists don't yet know exactly how much this affects human health, the findings suggest we need better monitoring of seafood for microplastic contamination.
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