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Microplastics uptake and accumulation in the digestive system of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii
Summary
Lab experiments with Harris mud crabs showed the crabs readily ingested microplastics, which accumulated in their digestive systems. While plastic exposure did not significantly affect crab growth during the experiment, the findings confirm that crustaceans in brackish estuaries can ingest and retain microplastics.
The ingestion of microplastics has been recorded in hundreds of species. The ingestion rate and degree of impact is species-specific and depends on food preferences, foraging behaviour, and plastic pollution of the area. Currently there is a large knowledge gap regarding ingestion of marine litter by invertebrates in brackish water bodies. Therefore, experiments were conducted to investigate microplastics uptake and potential accumulation in the digestive system of the Harris mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii. Effects of microplastics on the growth of crabs were also tested. The results show that R. harrisii consume microplastics together with food, only plastic fragments too large for the digestion system were removed by crabs. The effect and duration of passage of plastic are not consistent and depend on the size and type of plastic. Microplastic fragments (