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Microplastics in Wild and Caged Mussels in Scotland, UK, and in Household Dust Downfall During a Meal (Edinburgh, UK)
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Microplastics were found in both wild and caged mussels in Scotland and in household dust collected during meal preparation in Edinburgh, providing data on environmental microplastic levels and potential human dietary exposure. Caged mussels deployed in an urbanized estuary showed seasonal variation in microplastic burden, suggesting dynamic environmental inputs.
Our data consists on microplastics (MPs) observations in mussel species in Scotland (UK) and from downfall dust on households in Edinburgh (UK) during the preparation of a meal. We deployed caged mussels (Mytilus edulis) in an urbanised estuary (Edinburgh, UK) to assess seasonal changes in plastic pollution, and collected mussels (Mytilus spp and subtidal Modiolus modiolus) from eight sampling stations around Scotland to enumerate MP types at different locations. MPs were extracted and quantified according to Catarino et al. (2017). Procedural blanks were used in every processing event, and data is also presented. We quantified to household dust fibres during a meal, using stationary passive samplers.
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