Abundance of Microplastics in Two Venus Clams (Meretrix lyrata and Paratapes undulatus) from Estuaries in Central Vietnam

Abstract

This study investigated the presence of microplastics in two common edible bivalves in Vietnam, the hard clam (Meretrix lyrata) and the undulate venus clam (Paratapes undulatus), from two estuaries in Da Nang city. Microplastics were detected in both species with relatively high concentrations—from 2.17 ± 0.43 to 2.38 ± 1.28 items g−1 in the undulate venus clams and from 4.71 ± 2.15 to 5.36 ± 2.69 items g−1 in the hard clams. Fibers were the most dominant form of microplastic in both clams, and a high proportion were fibers with sizes from 300 μm to 1500 μm. An estimation of microplastic intake in Vietnamese consumers’ bodies from clam consumption was made, which showed an average ingestion of 2489 items person−1 year−1. Our study is also the first global record of microplastic distribution characteristics in the undulate venus clam Paratapes undulatus.

Microplastic Pollutants in Aquatic Ecosystems: Present and Future Challenges

“…Recently, the prevalence of MP pollution in river systems has garnered increasing attention worldwide but there is little scientific literature on this subject [1]. Rivers are active transporters of microplastic debris to marine environments; however, due to inadequate datasets (mostly concerning polluted rivers) and lack of appropriate methodologies for precise sampling and estimation, which require a great deal of attention, the complete picture of the effects of riverine MPs on ecological and river biodiversity are still under debate [13,14]. The current approaches to assessing MP pollution in the aquatic environment are interdisciplinary, comprising principles from the fields of hydrology, limnology, toxicology, environmental modeling, monitoring, and chemistry [6].…”