We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic removal by Red Sea giant clam (Tridacna maxima)
AI summary Read the abstract
Giant clams from the Red Sea were exposed to polyethylene microbeads across two size classes for 12 days, with clams actively retaining an average of ~7.55 beads/individual/day and shells serving as an additional sink for adhered particles. The study is the first to quantify microplastic ingestion by giant clams and identifies both digestive tissue and shell structure as retention sites.
This study assesses for the first time the ingestion of microplastics by giant clams and evaluates their importance as a sink for this pollutant. A total of 24 individuals of two size classes were collected from the Red Sea and then exposed for 12 days to 4 concentrations of polyethylene microbeads ranging from 53 to 500 μm. Experiments revealed that clams actively take up microplastic from the water column and the average of beads retained inside the animal was ∼7.55 ± 1.89 beads individual day (5.76 ± 1.16 MPs/g dw). However, the digestive tract itself cannot be considered the only sink of microbeads in Tridacnids. Indeed, shells play a key role as well. The abundance of microplastic adhering to the shells, which was estimated directly, was positively correlated to the concentration of beads found in the surrounding seawater. Therefore, clams' shells contribute to the removal of 66.03 ± 2.50% of the microplastic present in the water column. Furthermore, stress responses to the exposure to polyethylene were investigated. Gross Primary Production:Respiration (GPP:R) ratio decreased throughout of the experiment, but no significant difference was found between treatments and controls.
More Papers Like This
Comparisons between ingestion, rejection, and egestion of microbeads by burrowing clams, Meretrix meretrix and Paphia undulata: Implications for health risk of shellfish consumption.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared microplastic ingestion, pseudofaeces rejection, and egestion in two burrowing clam species and found that the clams ingested more microbeads than they rejected. Larger microbeads were more likely to be rejected before ingestion, while smaller ones were more readily taken up, with implications for predicting plastic accumulation in bivalve-based foods.
How does bivalve size influence microplastics accumulation?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed microplastic accumulation in hard clams from a fishery port in southern China and found an average of about 25 microplastic particles per individual clam. The study found that as clam shell size increases, total microplastic count per individual rises but concentration per gram decreases, with fibers, fragments, and polyethylene being the most common types detected.
Microplastic ingestion reduces energy intake in the clam Atactodea striata
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that microplastic ingestion by the clam Atactodea striata reduced clearance rate — and therefore energy intake — particularly at high concentrations, while respiration rate and absorption efficiency remained unchanged, with pseudofaeces and depuration limiting the amount of plastic retained in body tissue.
Uptake of Microplastics in the Wedge Clam Donax trunculus: First Evidence from the Mediterranean Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic uptake in the wedge clam Donax trunculus from the Mediterranean Sea, characterizing the particles ingested by this commercially important bivalve species along Italian coastal beaches. The findings establish this species as a useful bioindicator for microplastic monitoring and raise concerns about human dietary exposure through shellfish consumption.
The fate of microplastics during uptake and depuration phases in a blue mussel exposure system
AI summary Read the abstract
A controlled exposure system tracked the fate of polystyrene microplastic beads in blue mussels during uptake and depuration phases, showing that mussels accumulated beads in the digestive gland and that depuration cleared most but not all particles over 24 hours. The mass balance approach provides a rigorous method for quantifying microplastic retention in bivalves.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.