Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Content in Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from South Carolina, USA

Researchers analyzed microplastic content in oysters, water, and sediments from four estuaries in South Carolina, USA, quantifying contamination levels across these matrices in the commercially important Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica.

2024 Figshare
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Macroecotoxicological approaches to emerging patterns of microplastic bioaccumulation in crabs from estuarine and marine environments

Smaller, shorter-lived crabs and those from estuarine intertidal/muddy habitats accumulated significantly more microplastics, with burrowing species holding more particles than omnivorous ones. Crabs at lower latitudes -- likely due to mangrove trapping effects -- and non-human-consumed species showed higher microplastic loads, with colorless PA, PP, and PET fibers (1-5 mm) predominating.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying Spatial and Temporal Trends of Microplastic Pollution in Surface Water and in the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica for a Dynamic Florida Estuary

Researchers monitored microplastic pollution in surface waters and tissues of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica across 35 sites in Florida's Indian River Lagoon over one year using microscopy and ATR-FTIR, quantifying spatial and temporal variability in MP abundance and identifying factors influencing distribution patterns in this dynamic estuarine system.

2022 Environments 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological traits influence the bioaccumulation of microplastics in commercially important estuarine crabs from the southeastern Gulf of Mexico

Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in two commercially important estuarine crab species in the Gulf of Mexico varied significantly based on ecological traits such as feeding behavior and habitat use, with gills and digestive tracts showing higher contamination than muscle tissue.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 30 citations
Article Tier 2

The relationship between microplastics in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and surrounding environmental compartments in Long Island Sound

This study measured microplastics in eastern oysters, water, marine snow, and sediment in Long Island Sound and found low overall concentrations, with sediment having the most plastic. Few polymer types were shared between oysters and the surrounding environment, suggesting oysters are not efficient indicators of local microplastic pollution despite being widely used as biomonitors. The results help refine what kinds of plastic particles reach seafood consumers versus what remains in the broader environment.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic occurrence in finfish and shellfish from the mangroves of the northern Gulf of Oman

This study assessed microplastic pollution in finfish and shellfish from mangrove habitats in the northern Gulf of Oman, finding the highest prevalence in crabs, with fragments and fibers as the dominant particle types, confirming microplastic contamination in ecologically important coastal ecosystems.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance of microplastics in oysters Crassostrea gigas and water from a highly anthropized estuary.

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in surface water and whole tissue of Crassostrea gigas oysters at two sites in the Bahia Blanca estuary, a highly anthropized system in Argentina with major port, petrochemical, and urban wastewater inputs. MPs ranged from 6 to 50 items/L in water and 0 to 2 items/g wet weight in oyster tissue, with transparent and blue fibers predominating in both matrices.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Entanglement and ingestion of microfibers by the oyster pea crab Zaops ostreum, an endosymbiont of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica.

Pea crabs living inside eastern oysters were found to both ingest microfibers and become passively entangled in them, suggesting that these endosymbiotic crustaceans are exposed to plastic pollution through their host oysters. Since these oysters are commercially harvested for human consumption, the findings highlight a potential pathway for microplastic exposure through oyster-based seafood.

2024 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastics uptake and accumulation in the digestive system of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii

Lab experiments with Harris mud crabs showed the crabs readily ingested microplastics, which accumulated in their digestive systems. While plastic exposure did not significantly affect crab growth during the experiment, the findings confirm that crustaceans in brackish estuaries can ingest and retain microplastics.

2020 Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences 19 citations
Review Tier 2

Peran Organisme Sessile Sebagai Bioindikator Mikroplastik Di Ekosistem Pesisir: Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review synthesizes evidence on how sessile coastal organisms — particularly bivalves like mussels and oysters — accumulate microplastics through their filter-feeding behavior, making them useful biological indicators of contamination. The review found that fibers dominate across most species and locations, and that polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET are the most common polymer types. Because these organisms are widely consumed by humans and are sensitive to environmental changes, they serve as both ecological sentinels and a potential pathway for microplastic exposure in human diets.

2026 Jurnal Biogenerasi
Article Tier 2

Low concentrations and low spatial variability of marine microplastics in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in a rural Georgia estuary

A survey of oysters from a rural Georgia estuary found relatively low microplastic concentrations and limited spatial variation compared to more urbanized coastal areas, suggesting that land use and population density influence plastic contamination levels in shellfish. The findings provide baseline data for this understudied region and support oysters as useful biomonitors.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and translocation of microplastics in tissues of deposit-feeding crabs (Grapsoidea, Ocypodoidea) in Kochi estuary, Japan

More than half of 116 intertidal crabs collected from a Japanese estuary contained microplastics, with PET fragments dominating and particles concentrated primarily in the gut. Smaller deposit-feeding crab species carried a higher microplastic burden relative to body weight than larger omnivorous species, showing that feeding behavior and body size both shape how much plastic wildlife accumulates in contaminated estuaries.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 8 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

Prevalence of Microplastics in the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica in the Chesapeake Bay: The Impact of Different Digestion Methods on Microplastic Properties

Eastern oysters from three Chesapeake Bay sites were found to contain microplastics, with hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide digestion methods yielding the highest recovery rates, while nitric acid produced satisfactory results with better microplastic preservation.

2022 Toxics 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and qualitative determination of microplastics in oyster, seawater and sediment from the coastal areas in Zhuhai, China

Researchers quantified microplastics in oysters, seawater, and sediment along the Zhuhai coastline, finding 0.14–7.90 items/g in oyster soft tissue, 10–27.5 items/L in seawater, and 0.053–0.26 items/g in sediment, with polyethylene fibers as the dominant type across all matrices.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in beach sediments: Insights into microplastic accumulation in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance in beach sediments across seven locations in Mobile Bay, a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary. The study found microplastics were ubiquitous at concentrations 66 to 253 times higher than reported for the open ocean, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common polymers, highlighting the extent of microplastic accumulation in estuarine environments.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 310 citations
Article Tier 2

Baseline assessment of microplastics in commercially important marine bivalves from New York, U.S.A.

Researchers established the first baseline assessment of microplastics in eastern oysters and hard clams from New York coastal waters, finding microplastic contamination across all sampling sites and providing reference data for the northeast U.S. Atlantic region.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in oysters Saccostrea cucullata along the Pearl River Estuary, China

Microplastics were found in oysters from multiple sites along the Pearl River Estuary in China, with concentrations varying by site and correlating with local microplastic levels in surrounding water. The results indicate that farmed and wild oysters in this heavily polluted estuary accumulate microplastics that could reach consumers.

2018 Environmental Pollution 322 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and composition in mudflat sediments and varnish clams (Nuttallia obscurata) at two estuaries of British Columbia, Canada: An assessment of potential anthropogenic sources

This study characterized the distribution, composition, and abundance of microplastics in mudflat sediments and in the tissues of varnish clams, a commercially harvested bivalve. High microplastic loads in both sediment and clam tissue raised concerns for seafood consumers and intertidal ecosystem health.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

A baseline study of microplastics in the burrowing crab (Neohelice granulata) from a temperate southwestern Atlantic estuary

Researchers conducted a baseline study of microplastic contamination in the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata and water samples from the Bahia Blanca Estuary in Argentina, finding microplastics in all specimens and water column samples, predominantly blue fibers under 1500 micrometres. Gills contained higher microplastic abundances than digestive tracts, suggesting adherence to gill surfaces as the primary uptake route for this key estuarine species.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 81 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comparison of Methods to Quantify Nano- and/or Microplastic (NMPs) Deposition in Wild-Caught Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) Growing in a Heavily Urbanized, Subtropical Estuary (Galveston Bay, USA)

Researchers compared multiple analytical methods to quantify nano- and microplastic contamination in wild eastern oysters from Galveston Bay, Texas. The study found up to 200 microplastic particles in individual oysters, with polymer composition varying by location within the bay, and demonstrated that different detection methods can yield complementary information about contamination levels.

2025 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characterization of microplastics in wild and cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Nova Scotia

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastics in wild and cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Nova Scotia, assessing how plastic contamination varies between farmed and wild bivalves in Canadian coastal waters.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastics in sympatric species with different ecological habits that inhabit a highly impacted area of Baixada Santista

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in sediment, water, and tissues (gills, muscle, hepatopancreas, and digestive tract) of three sympatric mangrove crab species with different ecological habits in the highly impacted Baixada Santista estuary, Brazil. The study found microplastic accumulation across all sampled matrices and examined physiological effects in Goniopsis cruentata, Aratus pisonii, and Minuca rapax, demonstrating how feeding behavior and habitat use influence microplastic body burden in crustaceans.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Florida, United States: A Case Study of Quantification and Characterization With Intertidal Snails

Researchers quantified and characterized microplastic contamination in Florida coastal waters using intertidal snails as indicator organisms, documenting the extent of MP pollution along beaches that are subject to heavy tourism and hurricane disturbance.

2021 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 26 citations