Quantification of microplastic ingestion by the decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus from Irish waters

Hara, Jenevieve; Frias, João; Nash, Róisín

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110905

Cited by 108 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, since this information was missing, we focused our investigation on local MaP and accumulation hotspots so that to test as to whether the quantities of seafloor macroplastic can be a significant indicator of a potentially higher number of contaminated individuals and of ingested particles in nearby areas. Our results showed, indeed, not only that plastic hotspots are important variable that can alter the amount of MiP potentially available to benthic species (La Beur et al, 2019), but also confirms how N. norvegicus represents an efficient bioindicator for MP contamination (Cau et al, 2019;Hara et al, 2020). Indeed, recent studies emphasized how this species faces a considerable accidental ingestion rate, which easily exceeds 80-90% of positive individuals, regardless of the geographical location.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Eating Near the Dump: Identification of Nearby Plastic Hotspot as a Proxy for Potential Microplastic Contamination in the Norwegian Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Plastic waste dumped in the marine environment has severe ecological, social and economic impacts. In recent years, a series of scientific studies documented the contamination by macroplastic and its impact on marine organisms through the accidental ingestion of microplastics, which also originate from the degradation of macroplastic. However, the relationship between the spatial distribution of marine litter and the ingestion of plastics by organisms have never been related. In this work, we aimed to investigate, through a modeling approach, the relations between potential sources of microplastic particles (i.e., seafloor macroplastic accumulation hotspots detected by means of trawl surveys), and the ingestion by the benthic crustacean Norwegian lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). According to the literature, N. norvegicus is characterized by a sedentary behavior and therefore it has been highlighted as a proficient sentinel species for local microplastic contamination. Despite no significant relation has been found between microplastic ingestion and the local presence of seafloor macroplastic, it seems that proximity to hotspots of macroplastic accumulation is significantly related to microplastics ingestion. These results highlight important considerations on the fate of plastic in the marine environments with significant impacts on biota and the quality of the product caught at sea.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Eating Near the Dump: Identification of Nearby Plastic Hotspot as a Proxy for Potential Microplastic Contamination in the Norwegian Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A second explanation could be the used mesh size of at least 300 µm, resulting in the loss of smaller particles, which are included in the study presented herein. Furthermore, no detailed information on the stranding site is given, which would be useful for comparison purpose, since differences in microplastic loads around Ireland (Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and the western coastline facing the open North Atlantic) were determined when the microplastic occurrence was compared at different prawn fishing grounds in 2016 (Hara et al, 2020). Furthermore, the study by Lusher et al (2018), confirmed the microplastic burden in 21 individuals covering six different cetacean species summing up to 528 investigated GITs.…”

Section: Comparison With Other Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastic ingestion by lower trophic level organisms is well known, whereas information on microplastic ingestion, egestion and accumulation by top predators such as cetaceans is still lacking. This study investigates microplastics in intestinal samples from harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) found along the coastline of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) between 2014 and 2018. Out of 30 individuals found along the North Sea (NS) and the Baltic Sea (BS) coast, 28 specimens contained microplastic. This study found a relationship between the nutritional status of cetaceans and the amount of found microplastics. Harbour porpoises with a good or moderate nutritional status contained a higher number of microplastics, when compared with specimens in a poor nutritional status. In addition, when individuals died accidently due to suspected bycatch in gillnets, where a feeding event is highly assumed or a pharyngeal entrapment happened, the microplastic burden was higher. In total, 401 microplastics (≥100 μm), including 202 fibres and 199 fragments were found. Intestines of the specimens of the BS contained more microplastics than the ones from the NS. Differences in the share of fibres could be revealed: for BS fibres constituted 51.44% and for NS, fibres constituted 47.97%. The polymers polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, acrylic (with nitrile component) and an acrylic/alkyd paint chip (with styrene and kaolin components) were identified. This is the first study investigating the occurrence of microplastics in harbour porpoises from German waters and will, thus, provide valuable information on the actual burden of microplastics in cetaceans from the North and Baltic Seas.

show abstract

“…Microplastics were also extensively monitored in shellfish, such as blue mussels, shrimps, and clams [ 11 , 20 , 40 , 45 , 52 , 59 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 ] ( Table 3 ). Unlike fish, soft tissues were dissected and digested to separate microplastics in mussels, clams, and oysters.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The percentage of fibers in isolated microplastics was more than 50% in various food items. For example, the fraction of fibers reached almost 100% of microplastics in sea salts [ 32 ] and edible tissues of fish [ 71 , 74 ] and shellfish [ 74 , 91 , 97 ]. However, a low fraction (<20%) of fibers was identified in lake salts [ 14 ], edible tissues of fish [ 38 , 47 ], mussels [ 81 ], shrimp [ 98 ], and dried fish [ 24 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Microplastics in Food: A Review on Analytical Methods and Challenges

Kwon

Kim

Pham

et al. 2020

IJERPH

126

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Human exposure to microplastics contained in food has become a significant concern owing to the increasing accumulation of microplastics in the environment. In this paper, we summarize the presence of microplastics in food and the analytical methods used for isolation and identification of microplastics. Although a large number of studies on seafood such as fish and shellfish exist, estimating the overall human exposure to microplastics via food consumption is difficult owing to the lack of studies on other food items. Analytical methods still need to be optimized for appropriate recovery of microplastics in various food matrices, rendering a quantitative comparison of different studies challenging. In addition, microplastics could be added or removed from ingredients during processing or cooking. Thus, research on processed food is crucial to estimate the contribution of food to overall human microplastic consumption and to mitigate this exposure in the future.

show abstract

Quantification of microplastic ingestion by the decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus from Irish waters

Cited by 108 publications

References 48 publications

Eating Near the Dump: Identification of Nearby Plastic Hotspot as a Proxy for Potential Microplastic Contamination in the Norwegian Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

Eating Near the Dump: Identification of Nearby Plastic Hotspot as a Proxy for Potential Microplastic Contamination in the Norwegian Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus)

First Evidence of Retrospective Findings of Microplastics in Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) From German Waters

Microplastics in Food: A Review on Analytical Methods and Challenges

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About