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Microplastic adhering to marine invertebrates - first observations and discussion of potential effects
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During a biodiversity survey of a British estuary, marine invertebrates were found with blue microplastic granules adhering firmly to their body surfaces, representing one of the first observations of microplastics externally attached to benthic animals rather than ingested. The study raises new questions about the pathways and impacts of microplastic exposure for bottom-dwelling organisms.
During a recent biodiversity study marine invertebrates were found with blue microplastic granules attached to their body surface. The animals originated from subtidal samples collected in a British estuary. In nearly half of the samples animals with blue granules were present. The granules were regularly distributed on the body surface and firmly attached, but not all specimens of the same species were affected. If present in a sample, granules were usually found on oligochaetes, but also on other animals (eg. crustaceans or polychaetes). Most studies on the immediate effects of microplastic on marine invertebrates focus on ingestion of particles (uptake of sediment containing plastic or via gills and subsequent endocytosis; see review by Duis & Coors 2016). The adherence of microplastic to the body and the related threats are not well understood. Potential physical damage as well as altered behaviour, such as reduced ability to move (oligochaetes) or swim (amphipod shrimps), are other effects worth investigating. In the course of routine biodiversity assessments, affected animals could easily be extracted to allow for further studies such as nature of microplastics or to monitor changes in their presence after a ban of microbeads is introduced for example in cosmetics.
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Microplastic adhering to marine invertebrates - first observations and discussion of potential effects
AI summary Read the abstract
During a biodiversity survey, marine invertebrates from a British estuary were found with blue microplastic granules firmly attached to their body surfaces — a first observation of plastic adhering externally to marine animals, raising questions about potential effects on feeding, respiration, and osmoregulation.
Beyond ingestion: Adhesion of microplastics to aquatic organisms
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Researchers reviewed evidence that microplastics interact with aquatic organisms not only through ingestion but also through bioadhesion, where particles stick to the external surfaces of organisms. The study found that microplastic adhesion occurs across diverse species including macrophytes, invertebrates, and vertebrates, suggesting that external adhesion is an underappreciated but important pathway of microplastic exposure in aquatic environments.
Presence of microplastics in benthic and epibenthic organisms: Influence of habitat, feeding mode and trophic level
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This study examined microplastic occurrence in benthic and epibenthic invertebrates from the Western English Channel, finding that habitat type, feeding mode, and trophic level all influenced microplastic ingestion rates. The results suggest that bottom-dwelling filter feeders and deposit feeders are among the most exposed organisms in seafloor food webs.
Adherence of microplastics to soft tissue of mussels: A novel way to uptake microplastics beyond ingestion
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Researchers discovered that mussels can take up microplastics not only by swallowing them but also through direct adherence to soft tissues like the foot and mantle. Field investigations found microplastics in multiple mussel organs, with the intestine containing the highest concentration by weight. The study proposes adherence as a previously unrecognized pathway for microplastic uptake in marine organisms, which could mean current exposure estimates are incomplete.
Assessing Microplastic Contamination in Zooplanktonic Organisms from Two River Estuaries
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Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in zooplankton sampled from two river estuaries, finding microplastics in a significant proportion of individual organisms from both sites. Fibre shapes dominated ingested plastics, and contamination levels were higher in the more urbanized estuary, indicating that land-based pollution inputs drive microplastic exposure in estuarine zooplankton.
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