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Surveillance of Microplastic Pollution in Central Virginia Freshwater Ecosystems
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in crayfish from two streams in central Virginia, examining both digestive tracts and gill filaments. Microplastics were detected in crayfish from both sites, with fibers being the most common type. The study extends freshwater microplastic research to a commonly found and ecologically important benthic invertebrate in North American streams.
Aquatic organisms often mistake microplastic particulates (MP) as food and inadvertently ingest the particulates, which can biomagnify through the food chain. While MP ingestion is well-researched in the marine environment, little is known about microplastics in freshwater ecosystems. This project explores MP occurrence in an ecologically significant freshwater invertebrate: crayfish. Crayfish from two Central Virginia streams are collected to identify MP in the digestive tracts and gill filaments, and characterize the MP using analytical chemistry techniques. It was determined that MP were present in the digestive tracts and gill filaments of crayfish collected from both streams, and that MP frequency in the urban stream was greater than that of the rural stream due to its location near the dominant thoroughfare.
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Microplastic Presence and Frequency in Crayfish within Urban and Rural Streams
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Researchers compared the presence and frequency of microplastics found in crayfish living in urban versus rural streams, aiming to understand how human development influences microplastic ingestion in freshwater animals. Crayfish serve as useful environmental indicators because they feed at the bottom of streams where microplastics tend to settle.
Microplastic burden in native (Cambarus appalachiensis) and non-native (Faxonius cristavarius) crayfish along semi-rural and urban streams in southwest Virginia, USA
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Researchers conducted the first comparative study of microplastic contamination in native and non-native crayfish species along semi-rural and urban streams in southwest Virginia. They found significantly higher microplastic concentrations in urban surface water compared to semi-rural areas, and the non-native crayfish species showed greater microplastic body burden than the native species. The findings suggest that urbanization influences microplastic exposure in freshwater organisms and that invasive species may accumulate plastics differently than native ones.
Microplastic burden in invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) increases along a stream urbanization gradient
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Researchers found microplastics in the digestive tracts of invasive signal crayfish at every site along a stream gradient from rural to urban, with concentrations rising as more of the upstream area was developed — and detected microplastics in crayfish tail muscle tissue for the first time. Because crayfish are important prey for many species, their accumulation of microplastics in both gut and tissue suggests these pollutants can move through freshwater food chains more broadly than previously recognized.
Microplastic pollution in water, sediment, and specific tissues of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) within two different breeding modes in Jianli, Hubei province, China
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Microplastics were found in water (1.3–2.5 particles/L), sediment, and crayfish tissues (gills, stomach, gut, flesh) in both pond and rice-crayfish co-culture systems in China, with gill tissue showing the highest per-individual accumulation and flesh contamination persisting after purification in clean water.
Plastic Debris in the Stomach of the Invasive Signal Crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus from a Baltic Coastal River
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Researchers examined the stomach contents of invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) for plastic debris, finding ingested plastic fragments and fibres in a proportion of sampled individuals. The study identifies signal crayfish as accumulators of microplastics in freshwater food webs, with potential implications for predators that consume crayfish in affected river systems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.