Microplastics in coastal areas and seafood: implications for food safety

Abstract

Microplastics have become ubiquitous in the marine environment. Microplastics have been detected in many coastal environments and species, including commercial seafood. This triggers concern about potential economic impacts and the risks of dietary exposure, especially for coastal communities. However, data regarding the levels of microplastics in coastal seafood and their toxicological effects are still limited. Accordingly, the dietary risk is still poorly explored. This review summarizes and discusses recent scientific findings on (i) the presence of microplastics in coastal waters, (ii) the occurrence of microplastics in coastal seafood and the likelihood of trophic transfer, and (iii) the effects of microplastics on coastal fish and shellfish species. Human toxicity data are also reviewed, but the risks for human health are difficult to determine due to limited data. Based on available worldwide data, the estimation of microplastics intake through seafood consumption shows a huge variation. Additionally, a lack of standardized analytical methods complicates the comparison of results between studies and therefore seriously affects the reliability of risk assessments. It is concluded that more exposure and toxicity data are needed properly to assess human health risks of microplastics in coastal seafood, and the lack of data currently impede the derivation of a risk-based food safety standard. The pros and cons of an interim solution, i.e. setting a provisional action level, are being discussed.

The interaction between dietary marine components and intestinal flora

“…Many studies have shown that marine dietary components can play a significant role in maintaining and promoting human health (Dong et al 2019). Moreover, as an environmental issue, microplastics have attracted extensive attention for their effect on health and the harm to intestinal bacteria, hence, their accumulation in the marine environment cannot be ignored (Agamuthu et al 2019;Hantoro et al 2019;Henry et al 2019). This section summarizes the interaction between intestinal floras and dietary marine ingredients.…”

Microplastic Concentrations in Two Oregon Bivalve Species: Spatial, Temporal, and Species Variability

“…While spatial distribution of microplastics in the environment is highly complex, areas with high human population, coastal recreation, and tourism pressures generally yield high environmental microplastics (Barnes et al 2009;Hantoro et al 2019). Microplastics represent a diverse set of contaminants which encompass infinite combinations of plastic densities, sizes, shapes, surface textures, and chemical properties (Rochman et al 2019).…”

“…While human presence may correlate with microplastic prevalence, it is unclear what specific environmental processes best predict fate and transport of these pernicious particles (Jambeck et al 2015;Zhang 2017). Density has been thought to ultimately determine environmental fate, with denser plastics like polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) settling to the benthos and low density polymers such as polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene remaining in surface waters; however, a recent review of global surface water and sediment data indicates a mixture of high and low density microplastics in water and sediment samples, attributed to influences of varied environmental and biological processes in coastal areas (Hantoro et al 2019).…”

“…Organisms inhabiting coastal environments are subjected to ambient environmental conditions, including microplastic contamination that may exist in surrounding waters, substrata, or in the air. Aquatic filterand suspension-feeding organisms can encounter microplastics in the marine or freshwater column, mistake them for food items, and ingest them (Hantoro et al 2019). This transfer of plastics from the environment into aquatic food webs has been documented across diverse taxonomic groups, life histories, habitats, and feeding types (e.g., Cole et al 2011;Akpan 2014;Rochman et al 2015;Waite et al 2018).…”

“…Microplastics may also sorb harmful contaminants that, once ingested or incorporated in tissues, are released into the organism (Teuten et al 2007(Teuten et al , 2009. In some studies, environmental microplastic concentrations have been directly correlated with microplastic burdens in coastal bivalves (Mathalon and Hill 2014;Li et al 2016;Qu et al 2018;Hantoro et al 2019).…”