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Microplastics Facilitate Protozoan Pathogen Contamination in Shellfish
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Researchers found that microplastics can facilitate the contamination of shellfish with disease-causing parasites including Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Toxoplasma. Oysters exposed to both protozoan pathogens and polyester microfibers harbored significantly more parasites than those exposed to pathogens alone, suggesting microplastics may serve as vectors that increase pathogen levels in seafood.
Concerns about microplastic pollution have risen as numerous studies have reported detection of microplastics in foods, including seafood. One emerging concern is the ability of microplastics to vector pathogens that can adhere to biofilms on microplastic surfaces. Here, we investigated whether microplastics can facilitate zoonotic protozoan parasite contamination in shellfish. Oysters were selected for this study because they are commonly eaten raw and can harbor zoonotic protozoan pathogens. Acclimated live oysters were exposed in closed aquaria to Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Toxoplasma (oo)cysts that had been incubated in seawater either as protozoa alone (P treatment) or with preconditioned polyester microfibers (P + M treatment). After overnight exposure, oysters were transferred to clean seawater flow-through aquaria for depuration. Over the experimental period, oysters exposed to both protozoa and microfibers had significantly higher numbers of protozoan pathogens than oysters exposed to protozoa alone. Our study provides experimental evidence that microplastics may facilitate protozoan pathogen contamination in shellfish. These results demonstrate how anthropogenic pollution may have unintended consequences on infectious disease transmission in coastal ecosystems, with potential risk to wildlife populations and human public health.
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Association of Zoonotic Protozoan Parasites With Microplastics in Seawater: Implications for Human and Wildlife Health
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This study found that the human parasites Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can adsorb to the surface of polyethylene microbeads and polyester microfibers. The discovery that microplastics can carry waterborne pathogens raises a new public health concern — that microplastic pollution in coastal waters may concentrate and transport disease-causing organisms that could infect both wildlife and humans.
Association of zoonotic protozoan parasites with microplastics in seawater and implications for human and wildlife health
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Researchers found that zoonotic protozoan parasites, including Cryptosporidium and Giardia, can associate with microplastics in seawater, suggesting that microplastics may serve as vectors for these pathogens. The study raises concerns that ingestion of parasite-laden microplastics by marine animals, including those consumed by humans, could pose risks to both wildlife and human health.
Oceanic Hitchhikers – Assessing Pathogen Risks from Marine Microplastic
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This review examines the emerging concern that microplastics in the ocean could serve as vehicles for transporting harmful bacteria, particularly into shellfish destined for human consumption. Researchers synthesized current knowledge about the distinct microbial communities that form on plastic debris and how microplastics are taken up by bivalves like mussels and oysters. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps around whether microplastic-associated pathogens represent a meaningful food safety risk.
Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in shellfish from Jiaozhou Bay, China
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Researchers measured microplastic abundance and characteristics in wild oysters and farmed clams from Jiaozhou Bay, China, finding contamination at moderate levels. Fibers dominated the microplastic composition in both species. As commercially important shellfish consumed by people, these organisms represent a human dietary exposure pathway for microplastics.
Are microplastics impacting shellfish?
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Researchers investigated whether microplastic contamination measurably impacts shellfish physiology, growth, reproduction, and health outcomes, assessing the ecological and food safety implications of microplastic exposure in commercially and ecologically important bivalve species.
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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.