Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic in Mexican Coastal Areas Using Mussels ( Mytilus spp.) as Biomonitors

This study used mussels as bioindicators to assess microplastic contamination along the Mexican Pacific coast, finding higher levels of microplastics and associated heavy metals in more urbanized areas. The results suggest potential health risks for people consuming seafood from contaminated coastal areas.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis): Influence of microplastics

Researchers investigated whether microplastics influence the bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in Mediterranean mussels. The study found that the presence of microplastics altered how certain chemical pollutants accumulated in mussel tissue, suggesting that microplastics can act as carriers that change the uptake and distribution of other contaminants in marine organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Mussel watch program for microplastics in the Mediterranean sea: Identification of biomarkers of exposure using Mytilus galloprovincialis

This review evaluates the use of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as bioindicators for monitoring microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Researchers identified several promising biomarkers of microplastic exposure in mussels, supporting their use in mussel watch programs for assessing marine environmental quality.

2022 Ecological Indicators 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Are mussels accumulating trace metals and microplastics in port facilities?

Mediterranean mussels deployed at port facilities in Spain were analyzed for trace metals and microplastics, finding elevated contamination compared to reference sites, with both contaminant types reflecting local shipping and maintenance activities as pollution sources.

2025 Marine Environmental Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Using mussel as a global bioindicator of coastal microplastic pollution

This review evaluates whether mussels can serve as reliable global indicators of coastal microplastic pollution. Researchers found that mussels are well suited for this role due to their wide geographic distribution, filter-feeding behavior, and demonstrated ability to accumulate microplastics from surrounding waters. The study identifies remaining challenges in standardizing monitoring methods but concludes that mussels offer a practical and ecologically relevant tool for tracking marine microplastic contamination.

2018 Environmental Pollution 571 citations
Article Tier 2

The Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a Biomonitor for Microplastic Pollution

Researchers assessed the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a bioindicator for microplastic pollution, focusing on improving quantification of small microplastics below 25 µm that conventional methods miss. Mussels were found to accumulate microplastics efficiently across size ranges, validating their use as biomonitors while highlighting the need for improved analytical methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Mytilus spp. as sentinels for monitoring microplastic pollution in Norwegian coastal waters: A qualitative and quantitative study

Researchers collected mussels from 15 sites along Norway's coastline and found microplastics at nearly every location, with remote Arctic sites containing surprisingly high levels — often more than sites near major cities. The study confirms that mussels are useful sentinels for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal waters, with fibers making up 83% of all particles found.

2018 Environmental Pollution 263 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the relationship between the abundance and properties of microplastics in water and in mussels

Researchers investigated the relationship between microplastic levels in coastal waters and in mussels at 25 sites along China's coastline. They found a strong positive correlation, meaning that mussels in more polluted waters contained more microplastics, and that mussels preferentially ingested smaller particles. The study supports the use of mussels as biological indicators for monitoring microplastic contamination in marine environments.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 459 citations
Article Tier 2

Bivalves with potential for monitoring microplastics in South America

Researchers tested three South American mussel species and found that all of them accumulated microplastics in their tissues, feces, and pseudofeces, suggesting these bivalves can serve as reliable bioindicators — living monitors — for microplastic contamination in coastal waterways.

2021 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 29 citations
Article Tier 2

First Record of Microplastic Contamination in the Non-Native Dark False Mussel Mytilopsis leucophaeata (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in a Coastal Urban Lagoon

Researchers documented microplastic contamination for the first time in the invasive dark false mussel in a coastal lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Microplastics were found in all mussel samples, with fibers and fragments being the most common types, and thirteen different polymer types were identified. The study suggests this widespread filter-feeding species could serve as a useful bioindicator for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal waters.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Binational survey using Mytilus galloprovincialis as a bioindicator of microplastic pollution: Insights into chemical analysis and potential risk on humans

Researchers conducted surveys of microplastic contamination in mussels from coastal sites across Morocco and Tunisia, finding plastics in 79 to 100 percent of all samples. The most common types were polyethylene and polypropylene fibers and fragments, with chemical analysis revealing the presence of associated toxic additives. The study estimates that regular mussel consumers in these regions face meaningful microplastic intake, highlighting a potential human health concern.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Major characteristics of microplastics in mussels from the Portuguese coast

Microplastics were characterized in mussels (Mytilus spp.) collected from the Portuguese coast, documenting abundance, shape, color, and polymer composition, with fibers and fragments dominated by polyester and polyethylene.

2021 Environmental Research 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphological analysis approach to detect microfiber contamination in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers investigated microfiber contamination in Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) using morphological analysis, finding microplastic presence in 65% of analyzed specimens and demonstrating that mussels serve as effective bioindicators for assessing environmental microplastic exposure.

2022 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Quantification and characterization of microplastics in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis): protocol setup and preliminary data on the contamination of the French Atlantic coast

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in blue mussels from a study site, finding microplastics in a large proportion of sampled individuals and documenting the types and sizes of particles present.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 163 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and identification of microplastics from mussels: Method development and preliminary results

Scientists developed and validated a method for extracting and identifying microplastics from mussel tissue, then applied it to measure contamination in commercially harvested mussels. The method produced reliable, reproducible results, providing a practical tool for monitoring microplastic levels in one of the world's most widely consumed shellfish.

2021 Italian Journal of Food Safety 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in marine mussels from the Atlantic coast of North Portugal and human risk of microplastic intake through mussel consumption

Researchers analyzed wild mussels from Portugal's Atlantic coast and found microplastics in all samples, with an average of about 1.6 particles per gram of mussel tissue. Based on typical Portuguese seafood consumption patterns, the estimated annual human intake of microplastics from mussels alone was calculated, highlighting that regular shellfish consumers face meaningful microplastic exposure through their diet.

2024 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Use of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) filtration function as a sustainable tool for water column microplastic monitoring

Researchers investigated using Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as living samplers to monitor microplastic levels in seawater, taking advantage of the mussels' natural filter-feeding behavior to concentrate particles from the surrounding water column. This biological monitoring approach could provide a cost-effective and ecologically relevant tool for tracking microplastic pollution.

2024 Repository of the University of Primorsk (University of Primorska)
Article Tier 2

Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis to Microplastics: Accumulation, Depuration and Evaluation of the Expression Levels of a Selection of Molecular Biomarkers

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to a realistic mixture of microplastic types and then tested whether a standard purification process could remove them. They found that purification significantly reduced microplastic contamination in the mussels and that molecular biomarkers in the gills could detect the biological effects of exposure. The study suggests that both purification protocols and molecular monitoring tools could help address microplastic risks in farmed shellfish.

2023 Animals 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the impact of aquaculture facilities on transplanted mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis): Integrating plasticizers and physiological analyses as a biomonitoring strategy

Researchers assessed microplastic impacts on mussels transplanted near aquaculture facilities by integrating plasticizer analysis with physiological biomarkers, finding that proximity to aquaculture infrastructure increased both particle ingestion and chemical plasticizer exposure.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Oysters and mussels as equivalent sentinels of microplastics and natural particles in coastal environments

Researchers compared how oysters and mussels accumulate microplastics in a polluted Brazilian estuary and found both species performed equally well as biological monitors of contamination. Some of the highest microplastic levels ever recorded in shellfish were found at the most polluted sites. Since oysters and mussels are widely consumed as seafood, these contamination levels raise direct concerns about human microplastic exposure through shellfish consumption.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution profile of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected along the Turkish coasts

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in Mediterranean mussels collected from 23 locations along Turkey's Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, and Aegean Sea coastlines. The study found widespread microplastic contamination in mussels across all sampling sites, highlighting their role as vectors for microplastic transfer to humans through seafood consumption.

2020 Chemosphere 175 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine mussel-based biomarkers as risk indicators to assess oceanic region-specific microplastics impact potential

Researchers used marine mussels (Mytilus) as biological indicators to estimate the risk that microplastics pose to ocean ecosystems across different regions, finding that North Pacific Ocean microplastic concentrations had a greater than 90% probability of harming mussel immune function, while South Pacific, Mediterranean, and South Atlantic levels posed lower risks.

2020 Ecological Indicators 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying spatial variation in the uptake of microplastic by mussels using biodeposit traps: A field-based study

Researchers used novel biodeposit traps to measure how mussels in different field locations take up and excrete microplastics, finding significant spatial variation in uptake rates. Mussels can serve as natural biomonitors of local microplastic contamination, with their biodeposits revealing how much plastic is present in their environment.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A case study on microlitter and chemical contaminants: Assessing biological effects in the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland (Baltic sea) using the mussel Mytilus trossulus as a bioindicator

Researchers used mussels as bioindicators to assess chemical and microplastic pollution across three Estonian Baltic Sea coastal sites, finding that cadmium and polybrominated diphenyl ethers exceeded environmental thresholds at all sites, acetylcholinesterase activity was inhibited at the most contaminated harbour, and natural cellulose microfibers outnumbered synthetic microplastics in mussel tissues.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 3 citations