We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Assessing the risk of microplastics in marine nearshore environments and biota using the Bayesian network-relative risk model
Summary
This study used a weight-of-evidence approach to assess the risks of microplastics to marine nearshore organisms, reviewing physical and chemical hazards from particle ingestion and contaminant adsorption. The analysis provides a risk assessment framework for evaluating microplastic impacts in coastal ecosystems where human seafood consumption is high.
Microplastics are emerging as a contaminant of concern in marine environments. Microplastics can cause physical damage to organisms via ingestion or respiration, can interact with other chemical in the environment, and can act as a mode of transport for less mobile microorganisms and toxicants. Their toxicological effects have been documented in recent scientific literature, however their specific mechanisms of action in marine biota are still relatively unknown. Specific stressors associated with plastics include their size, shape, composition, and properties that enable the sorption of contaminants to them. This project will entail sampling multiple locations of the Salish Sea region for the presence, location, size, and area cover of microplastics. Preliminary sampling is planned for Liberty Bay in Poulsbo, WA and Bellingham Bay in Bellingham, WA. These data will be entered into the Bayesian Network-Relative Risk Model (BN-RRM). The BN-RRM is a probabilistic ecological risk assessment framework that will be used to determine the exposure-effect pathways of microplastics to specific, predetermined endpoints in the marine nearshore environment and determine the risks they pose to those endpoints. The BN-RRM will focus on assessing risks associated with the microplastic’s size and types. Other stressors that will be considered in the model include pollutants that are sorbed to the microplastics, and nonindigenous materials such as metals and persistent organic pollutants. The results of this project will be a model that can be updated periodically as more data are collected to elucidate exposure pathways, modes of action, and effects of microplastics on marine biota and nearshore environments.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
The risks of marine micro/nano-plastics on seafood safety and human health
This review examined the risks of marine micro- and nanoplastics to seafood safety and human health, detailing how plastic particles are ingested by marine organisms and transferred through the food chain to consumers.
Illustrating a Species Sensitivity Distribution for Nano- and Microplastic Particles Using Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling
Researchers developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to construct species sensitivity distributions for nano- and microplastic particles, deriving hazardous concentration thresholds to support environmental risk assessment of plastic pollution.
Toxicological review of micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic environments: Risks to ecosystems, food web dynamics and human health.
This review synthesized evidence on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems, covering risks to individual organisms, disruptions to food web dynamics, and pathways through which plastic exposure poses risks to human health via seafood consumption.
Estimating species sensitivity distributions for microplastics by quantitatively considering particle characteristics using a recently created ecotoxicity database
Researchers estimated species sensitivity distributions for microplastics using Bayesian modeling that accounts for particle characteristics such as size, shape, and polymer type. The study suggests that quantitatively considering these microplastic properties yields more accurate environmental risk assessments than traditional approaches that treat all microplastics as equivalent.
Probabilistic environmental risk assessment of microplastics in marine habitats
A probabilistic environmental risk assessment for marine microplastics — using measured concentration data and species sensitivity distributions — found low risk ratios overall but identified hotspot water bodies (harbors, coastal inlets) where MP concentrations approached or exceeded effect thresholds.