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High microplastic exposure affects survival and health of Dreissena spp. mussels: implications for freshwater pollution monitoring
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Researchers tested whether Dreissena mussels could serve as bioindicators for freshwater microplastic pollution by exposing them to polyethylene microbeads for two months. At high concentrations, the mussels showed decreased health indicators and increased mortality within 15 days, while lower concentrations had no significant effect. The study supports using these filter-feeding mussels as practical biological monitors for assessing microplastic contamination levels in freshwater ecosystems.
The occurrence and concentrations of microplastics in freshwater environments are far less studied than in marine ecosystems, despite rivers being the receptacle of plastic pollution from terrestrial activities. Since microplastics impact aquatic organisms at multiple levels, the development of reliable and efficient methods for their quantification is crucial to improve ecological risk assessment and support regulatory efforts. In this study, we investigated the potential of Dreissena spp. mussels as bioindicators for microplastic pollution by exposing them to fluorescent polyethylene microbeads (10-20 μm) for 2 months at two environmental concentrations (200 and 2000 MP L). Both microplastic uptake and health indicators (survival rates, condition index, and energy reserves) were assessed. Our results confirmed microplastic uptake by dreissenids under both exposure concentrations. Exposure to 2000 MP L led to a decrease in condition index and energy reserves within 15 days, resulting in increased mortality, whereas exposure to 200 MP L had no significant effect. These findings support the use of Dreissena spp. mussels as bioindicators for microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, highlighting the bioaccessibility of MPs to filter-feeders and allowing the assessment of both microplastic accumulation in tissues and associated health effects.
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Marine and freshwater mussels as biomonitors for microplastic concentrations: A comparative laboratory study
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Researchers compared marine and freshwater mussels as biomonitors for microplastic pollution in a controlled laboratory study, evaluating whether these filter-feeding bivalves can serve as a complementary monitoring tool to sampling nets — particularly for small microplastics under 25 µm that nets tend to miss.
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This study examined microplastic contamination in three freshwater mussel species collected from rivers and a dam lake in southeastern Turkey, finding relatively low average concentrations (under 1 microplastic per individual) but confirming that these mussels do accumulate plastic particles from their surroundings. Because mussels are filter feeders with a fixed lifestyle, they reflect local pollution levels well, making them useful sentinels for tracking microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems. The research adds to growing evidence that microplastics are now present even in inland freshwater species far from the ocean.
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Researchers exposed freshwater zebra mussels to nano-polystyrene particles at concentrations of 20 to 60 mg/L and measured mortality, feeding rates, and stress biomarker responses. They found that the nanoplastics caused measurable stress responses and affected the mussels' clearance rates at tested concentrations. The study adds to evidence that sub-micron plastic particles can have significant biological impacts on freshwater filter-feeding organisms.
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