Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter digestive enzyme activities in the marine bivalve, Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers incubated Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) with polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and measured changes in digestive enzyme activity, finding significant reductions in amylase and protease activity, suggesting that microplastics impair nutrient digestion in filter-feeding bivalves.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Correction: The observation of starch digestion in blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to microplastic particles under varied food conditions

This paper presents a correction to a previously published study examining starch digestion in blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to microplastic particles under varied food conditions.

2024 PLoS ONE
Article Tier 2

Effects of food presence on microplastic ingestion and egestion in Mytilus galloprovincialis

The presence of the microalga Dunaliella salina as food significantly reduced egestion of polyethylene microplastics in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, with a single feeding episode preventing over 40% of MPs from being expelled over 24 hours. The finding suggests food presence causes microplastics to persist longer in mussel tissues, increasing exposure duration.

2019 Chemosphere 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological effects of plastic particles on mussels are mediated by food presence

Thick shell mussels exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics (70 nm) and microplastics (10 µm) with and without microalgae food found that food presence mediated the physiological effects — microplastics reduced energy budget and increased oxidative stress markers most strongly when food was mixed with particles.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and food shortage impair the byssal attachment of thick-shelled mussel Mytilus coruscus

Researchers found that microplastic exposure combined with food shortage significantly impaired byssal attachment in the mussel Mytilus coruscus, reducing thread production and adhesion strength, which could compromise mussel survival in polluted marine environments.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastics on the Bioenergetics of the Mussel Mytilus coruscus Assessed by Cellular Energy Allocation Approach

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the energy budget of mussels using a cellular energy allocation approach. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics increased energy demands while depleting carbohydrate, lipid, and protein stores, with lipid and protein levels failing to fully recover even after the microplastics were removed.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics impair digestive performance but show little effects on antioxidant activity in mussels under low pH conditions

Researchers exposed thick shell mussels to polystyrene microplastics under both normal and acidified ocean conditions. They found that microplastics had little effect on antioxidant defenses but significantly impaired digestive enzyme activity, with ocean acidification worsening the impact. The study suggests that the combined stress of microplastics and lower pH may pose particular risks to the digestive function of marine shellfish.

2019 Environmental Pollution 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics exposure on mussel (Mytilus edulis) gut microbiota

Researchers exposed marine mussels (Mytilus edulis) to microplastics and analyzed changes to their gut microbiota, finding significant shifts in microbial community composition that could affect digestion, immunity, and overall health.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of environmentally relevant levels of polyethylene microplastic on Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca: Bivalvia): filtration rate and oxidative stress

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and found significant reductions in filtration rate and signs of oxidative damage in the digestive gland. The study suggests that microplastics as small as 40-48 micrometers can disrupt antioxidant defenses in bivalves even at low concentrations, raising concerns about their impact on marine filter-feeders.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesized effects of medium-term exposure to seawater acidification and microplastics on the physiology and energy budget of the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Researchers found that combined exposure to ocean acidification and microplastics significantly reduced the feeding rate, food absorption, and energy budget of the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus, with acidification amplifying the negative effects of microplastics.

2022 Environmental Pollution 20 citations
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

Impacts of microplastics exposure on copepod (Eurytemora affinis) and mussel (Mytilus edulis) gut microbiota

Researchers studied how microplastic exposure affects the copepod Eurytemora affinis and the mussel Mytilus edulis, examining effects on feeding, reproduction, and overall health at relevant environmental concentrations. Results showed microplastics impaired physiological functions in both species, with additional risks from microorganism-colonized plastic surfaces.

2024 Open MIND
Article Tier 2

Development and optimization of a standard method for extraction of microplastics in mussels by enzyme digestion of soft tissues

Researchers optimized methods for digesting mussel soft tissue and extracting microplastics for analysis, finding that sodium hydroxide and enzymatic digestion both achieved high recoveries (~93%) while acid digestion damaged certain plastic types. The validated method provides a reliable protocol for monitoring microplastic contamination in commercially important bivalves.

2016 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 317 citations
Article Tier 2

Are microplastics impacting shellfish?

Researchers investigated whether microplastic contamination measurably impacts shellfish physiology, growth, reproduction, and health outcomes, assessing the ecological and food safety implications of microplastic exposure in commercially and ecologically important bivalve species.

2024
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastic fibres on the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovinciallis

Scientists exposed marine mussels to dryer lint as a proxy for microplastic fibers from laundry and found physiological changes including reduced clearance rates and histopathological damage to gill and digestive gland tissue.

2020 Chemosphere 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Feeding and digestion of the marine isopod Idotea emarginata challenged by poor food quality and microplastics

Laboratory feeding experiments with the marine isopod Idotea emarginata found that microplastic ingestion combined with poor food quality reduced the animal's ability to digest and absorb nutrients effectively, suggesting that microplastics can worsen nutritional stress in marine invertebrates already facing food limitation. The combined effects of dietary microplastics and nutritional deficiency could impair the fitness of marine invertebrates under real-world conditions.

2019 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

EFFECT OF MICROPLASTIC ON GREEN MUSSEL Perna viridis: EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Researchers experimentally exposed green mussels (Perna viridis) to microplastics under controlled laboratory conditions and observed effects on feeding activity, tissue accumulation, and physiological stress responses. The study provides empirical evidence that microplastic ingestion causes measurable biological harm in this commercially harvested bivalve species.

2020 Jurnal Ilmu Kelautan SPERMONDE 12 citations
Article Tier 2

An assessment of the ability to ingest and excrete microplastics by filter-feeders: A case study with the Mediterranean mussel

Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were exposed to spherical polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations and examined for tissue-level effects and ingestion/egestion dynamics, with smaller particles showing greater retention and histological changes in digestive tissue. The study provides detailed pathophysiological evidence that MP size governs both retention time and the severity of tissue-level effects in marine filter feeders.

2018 Environmental Pollution 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and effects from microplastic (polyethylene) derived from toothpaste on blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

This study exposed blue mussels to polyethylene microplastics sourced directly from toothpaste and found that the particles caused physiological stress, reduced feeding activity, and elevated inflammatory markers. The results show that PE microbeads from consumer products can directly harm filter-feeding shellfish, raising concerns about human dietary exposure from seafood.

2016 DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of microplastics on intestinal microbiome for Perna viridis

Researchers found that the size of microplastic particles determines how they change the gut bacteria of green mussels, with the smallest particles causing the most disruption to beneficial bacteria and promoting potentially harmful species. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, changes to their gut health and the bacteria they carry could affect human food safety.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics can aggravate the impact of ocean acidification on the health of mussels: Insights from physiological performance, immunity and byssus properties

Researchers found that the combination of ocean acidification and microplastic exposure weakened mussel immune systems, reduced feeding performance, and degraded the quality of byssus threads used for attachment. The study suggests that co-occurring ocean acidification and microplastic pollution could increase the vulnerability of bivalves to disease and dislodgement, threatening their survival in future marine environments.

2022 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna mortality and reproduction in relation to food availability

Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to polystyrene microplastics under varying food availability conditions and found that microplastic impacts on mortality and reproduction were most severe when food was limited. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics on zooplankton are strongly influenced by nutritional status, with food-stressed organisms being more vulnerable to particle ingestion.

2018 PeerJ 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Histopathological and cytochemical analysis of ingested polyethylenepowder in the digestive gland of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis (L.)

Researchers examined the damage caused by ingested polyethylene powder in the digestive glands of blue mussels using microscopy and chemical staining, providing histological evidence of cellular effects. The study demonstrated that physical ingestion of plastic particles causes measurable tissue-level harm in the digestive organs of these widely consumed shellfish.

2010 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-exposure experience aggravates the accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) in thick-shell mussel Mytilus coruscus through impairing detoxification processes

Researchers discovered that mussels previously exposed to microplastics accumulated significantly higher levels of shellfish toxins when later exposed to toxin-producing algae. The prior microplastic exposure impaired the mussels' ability to break down and eliminate the toxins from their bodies. The findings raise concerns that widespread microplastic pollution could increase the risk of shellfish toxin contamination in seafood consumed by humans.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations