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Application of an enzyme digestion method reveals microlitter in Mytilus trossulus at a wastewater discharge area.
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Enzyme digestion of blue mussels collected near a wastewater treatment plant discharge in the Baltic Sea revealed that 66% contained microlitter, predominantly textile fibers (cotton, linen, viscose) rather than plastic. The study highlights wastewater discharge as a significant source of microlitter contamination in coastal mussel populations, with implications for seafood safety and ecosystem health.
The ingestion of microlitter by blue mussels (450) was studied at a wastewater recipient area in the Baltic Sea. The mussel soft tissues were digested using enzymatic detergents and the detected litter particles characterized with FT-IR imaging spectroscopy. Microlitter concentration in seawater and WWTP effluent were also measured. Microlitter was found in 66% of the mussels. Mussels from the WWTP recipient had higher microlitter content compared to those collected at the reference site. Plastics made up 8% of all the analysed microlitter particles. The dominating litter types were fibres (~90% of all microlitter), 42% of which were cotton, 17% linen, 17% viscose and 4% polyester. The risk of airborne contamination during laboratory work was lowered when mussels were digested with their shells on instead of dissecting them first. The approach was found applicable and gentle to both non-synthetic and synthetic materials including fragile fibres.
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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.