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Plastic litter transfer from sediments towards marine trophic webs: A case study on holothurians
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Sea cucumbers collected from the seafloor around a Sicilian island were found to contain microplastics in their bodies, having ingested them while feeding on sediment. Since sea cucumbers are consumed as food in many cultures, this represents a direct pathway for microplastic exposure in humans.
This study estimates for the very first time plastic litter levels in sea cucumbers (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) sampled in situ and their intakes from sediments in three different rocky bottom habitats (slides, cliff, banks) settled in Salina Island (Aeolian Archipelago). Macroplastic were never recorded while meso- and microplastics were identified in all sediment (81-438 items/kg d.w.) and animal samples (1.8-22 items/ind.). Plastic intakes by sea cucumbers resulted frequently associated to the size range included within 100-2000 μm. Over than 70% of ingested plastic litter is represented by the size fraction >500 μm. Sediment/animals ratios % are included 2.7 ± 2.0% in studied habitats with a selective intake of fragments occurring in slides. Furthermore, results support the occurrence of selective ingestion of plastic litter by holothurians in natural environments underlining the role of these species in microplastic transfer from abiotic towards biotic compartments of the marine trophic web.
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Chemical fingerprint of plastic litter in sediments and holothurians from Croatia: Assessment & relation to different environmental factors
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Sea cucumbers from Croatian island sediments contained microplastics and semi-synthetic fibers, showing that these benthic animals ingest particles from the seafloor. As sea cucumbers are a commercially harvested species, their contamination has direct implications for human dietary exposure to microplastics.
Microplastic (MP) contamination in sea cucumbers (Class: Holothuroidea): a review of abundances, distribution, polymer characteristics, and human health implications.
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Sea cucumbers, a popular seafood in many parts of the world, are absorbing tiny plastic particles called microplastics from ocean sediment as they feed—this review pulled together findings from 41 studies to show just how widespread the problem is. The plastics found were mostly tiny fibers and fragments from common materials like polyethylene (used in bags and bottles), and eating contaminated sea cucumbers could be a hidden way these plastics end up in our diets. While scientists don't yet know exactly how much this affects human health, the findings suggest we need better monitoring of seafood for microplastic contamination.
Evaluation of Microplastics Ingested by Sea Cucumber Holothuria Scabra from Pulau Jambongan, Sabah
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Researchers found 7,403 microplastic particles in the digestive tracts of 30 sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) collected from a Malaysian island, with 99% being fibers and the dominant polymer being polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The high contamination level indicates significant marine pollution in the region and shows that bottom-dwelling sea cucumbers — which process large volumes of sediment — are especially exposed to microplastic accumulation. This is relevant to seafood safety since sea cucumbers are commercially harvested for human consumption.
The density of microplastic in sea cucumber (Holothuria sp.) and sediment at Tidung Besar and Bira Besar island, Jakarta
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Sea cucumbers from Jakarta's Tidung Besar and Bira Besar islands were found to contain microplastics in their tissues, with concentrations correlated to levels in surrounding sediments. Because sea cucumbers ingest sediment while feeding, they accumulate microplastics in proportion to local environmental contamination.
Microplastic ingestion in the black sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota (Brandt, 1835) collected from Rambut Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Scientists found microplastics inside sea cucumbers collected from Indonesian coastal waters near Jakarta, with plastic particles concentrated in the intestines. Sea cucumbers are sediment-feeding bottom dwellers, making them useful indicators of microplastic contamination on the seafloor.
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