Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exposure to low-density polyethylene microplastic particles: presence in Mytilus edulis tissues and pseudofeces

Researchers exposed blue mussels to low-density polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations for up to 56 days and found particles in gills, intestinal lumens, and digestive tissues. Mussels also expelled plastic particles in their pseudofeces, demonstrating both uptake and a partial clearance mechanism for microplastic exposure in filter feeders.

2020 Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo)
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

Depuration kinetics and accumulation of microplastics in tissues of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

This study tracked how mussels take in, accumulate, and eventually expel microplastics of different sizes over time. Larger microplastics accumulated more in the gills and digestive gland, while smaller particles spread more widely through the body. Since mussels are popular seafood eaten whole, understanding how they retain microplastics helps estimate how much plastic people may be consuming through shellfish.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics during uptake and depuration phases in a blue mussel exposure system

A controlled exposure system tracked the fate of polystyrene microplastic beads in blue mussels during uptake and depuration phases, showing that mussels accumulated beads in the digestive gland and that depuration cleared most but not all particles over 24 hours. The mass balance approach provides a rigorous method for quantifying microplastic retention in bivalves.

2018 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent elimination of ingested microplastics in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers measured gut retention time and long-term egestion of 1, 10, and 90 μm polystyrene microspheres in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, finding that smaller microplastics were excreted quickly but detected intermittently for up to 40 days, while larger particles were slowly excreted in bulk before disappearing.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic of small polyethylene microplastics (≤10 μm) in mussel's tissues

Mussels were exposed to a single dose of irregularly shaped HDPE particles (mainly ≤10 μm) followed by 7-day depuration, with particles accumulating in the digestive gland and gills over time and smaller fractions (≤4 μm) showing translocation from the digestive system to the gills. The study demonstrates that the smallest microplastic fractions persist longer and translocate to secondary tissues in bivalves.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of nano/micro plastic particles by the mussel Mytilus coruscus is size dependent

Researchers investigated how the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus ingests plastic particles of different sizes, ranging from 70 nanometers to 100 micrometers. They found that smaller particles were ingested in greater quantities and accumulated primarily in the digestive tract, while particles also translocated to the mantle tissue over time. The study demonstrates that plastic particle ingestion by mussels is strongly size-dependent, with smaller particles posing a greater accumulation risk.

2020 Chemosphere 124 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics pollutants: Uptake, elimination and effects in mussel

Researchers compared the accumulation, elimination, and biological effects of high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics in mussels. Both types accumulated primarily in the digestive gland and gills and induced oxidative stress, though most particles were cleared after 144 hours of depuration. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the two polymers affected mussel metabolism differently, with polyethylene showing increased effects even during the elimination period.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Bivalves as Biological Sieves: Bioreactivity Pathways of Microplastics and Nanoplastics

This review examines how filter-feeding bivalves like mussels and oysters process and accumulate microplastics and nanoplastics of different sizes. Researchers found that larger particles pass through relatively quickly in feces, while smaller microplastics and nanoplastics tend to accumulate in digestive tissues and immune cells with longer retention times, making bivalves valuable bioindicators of plastic pollution.

2021 Biological Bulletin 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Where are we? Towards an understanding of the selective accumulation of microplastics in mussels

This review synthesizes published research on how mussels selectively accumulate microplastics, examining what factors such as particle size, shape, polymer type, and environmental conditions influence which plastics end up in mussel tissue versus being rejected. The study aims to improve the use of mussels as bioindicator species for monitoring marine microplastic pollution by identifying key variables that affect accumulation patterns.

2021 Environmental Pollution 97 citations
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

Ingested Microscopic Plastic Translocates to the Circulatory System of the Mussel, Mytilus edulis (L.)

Researchers discovered that microplastic particles ingested by mussels can move from the gut into the circulatory system within three days and persist in the body for over 48 days. Smaller particles accumulated more readily than larger ones, suggesting that as plastic debris breaks down into ever-smaller fragments in the environment, the potential for it to build up inside living organisms increases.

2008 Environmental Science & Technology 2164 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of sizes and concentrations of different types of microplastics on bioaccumulation and lethality rate in the green mussel, Perna viridis

Researchers investigated how different microplastic types, sizes, and concentrations affected bioaccumulation and mortality in green mussels, finding size- and concentration-dependent effects on MP accumulation in this filter-feeding species.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Time-course distribution of fluorescent microplastics in target tissues of mussels and polychaetes

Researchers tracked the time-course distribution of fluorescent microplastics in mussels and polychaetes, finding that both organisms accumulated particles in digestive and gill tissues with distinct uptake and depuration patterns depending on species and tissue type.

2022 Chemosphere 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation and Depuration of Microplastics by Oysters Upon the Laboratory Conditions

Researchers monitored microplastic accumulation and elimination in oysters over 30 days, finding that the digestive tract accumulated the highest concentrations (bioaccumulation factors increasing from ~10 to ~41 over 10 days), and that most particles were eliminated within 30 days of depuration.

2025 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Determining the Properties that Govern Selective Ingestion and Egestion of Microplastics by the Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) and Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

Researchers examined how particle properties govern selective ingestion and egestion of microplastics by blue mussels and eastern oysters, finding that bivalves selectively process different microplastic types based on physicochemical characteristics and size.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, both non-biodegradable and biodegradable, do not affect the whole organism functioning of a marine mussel

Researchers exposed marine mussels to both conventional and biodegradable microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations and measured whole-organism physiological responses including respiration, feeding, and energy balance. They found that neither type of microplastic significantly affected the mussels' overall functioning at these concentrations. The study suggests that while microplastic ingestion does occur, the biological impacts on filter-feeding organisms may be limited at the pollution levels currently found in natural ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation, depuration dynamics and localization in environmental compartments: combination of experimental set ups and field studies

Researchers used microcosm experiments to track microplastic accumulation, depuration, and tissue localization in marine organisms under environmentally relevant conditions. The study found that organisms can accumulate and partially depurate microplastics, with particle retention varying by tissue type and particle size.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Metabolic responses of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis after exposure to microplastics of different shapes and sizes

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to microplastics of different shapes and sizes and found that round particles and small fibers accumulated the most in mussel tissues. These same particle types caused the most significant metabolic changes, altering amino acid processing and vitamin pathways. The findings suggest that the shape and size of microplastics play an important role in determining how much harm they cause to marine filter-feeding organisms.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Capture, ingestion, and egestion of microplastics by suspension-feeding bivalves: a 40-year history

This review examines 40 years of research on how suspension-feeding bivalves capture, ingest, and egest microplastic particles. Researchers highlight that bivalves can actively select among particles based on size, shape, and surface properties both before and after ingestion, a capability often overlooked in recent microplastic studies. The paper argues that understanding these particle-sorting mechanisms is essential for accurately assessing microplastic exposure levels, toxic effects, and the potential for trophic transfer to humans who consume shellfish.

2019 Anthropocene Coasts 185 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation and ecotoxicological risk of weathered polyethylene (wPE) microplastics on green mussel (Perna viridis)

Green mussels exposed to weathered polyethylene microplastics for 30 days accumulated particles primarily in the intestine at higher concentrations, with reduced feeding rates at 3 µg/L but no mortality — while a post-exposure depuration period showed partial clearance from tissues.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Mussels facilitate the sinking of microplastics to bottom sediments and their subsequent uptake by detritus-feeders

This laboratory study found that filter-feeding mussels accelerate the sinking of microplastics from the water surface to the seafloor through their fecal pellets, and that these microplastic-containing pellets are subsequently ingested by bottom-feeding polychaete worms. This two-step biological transfer explains how microplastics from surface waters reach and accumulate in benthic organisms and sediments.

2020 Environmental Pollution 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fiber uptake, ingestion, and egestion rates in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)

Researchers used imaging flow cytometry to measure microplastic fiber uptake in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), finding that filtration rates dropped sharply with increasing fiber concentration, that 71% of fibers were rejected as pseudofeces rather than ingested, and that mussels may function as significant microplastic sinks in coastal waters.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 332 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