Surrounded by microplastic, since when? Testing the feasibility of exploring past levels of plastic microfibre pollution using natural history museum collections

Módica, Larissa; Lanuza, Paloma; García-Castrillo, Gerardo

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110846

Cited by 24 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In addition, we rinsed the outside of our samples prior to analysis in an attempt to isolate particles retained only within the sponge aquiferous system. Still, it is possible that the fibers we detected were embedded on the surface of the sponges ( Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo, 2020 ). It should also be noted that rinsing the sponge samples prior to analysis may have removed particles from sponge oscula that were exiting the sponge body at the time of collection, and future studies should consider this when evaluating particle egestion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The location of PMP within the bodies of the six sponge species we studied is unknown, but recent studies have highlighted the presence of microparticulate pollutants in the ectosome (outer layer of the sponge body), inner mesohyl, and around the choanocyte chambers of northern Atlantic and western Pacific sponges ( Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo, 2020 ; Girard et al, 2021 ). The latter study predicted that some particles were captured on the sponge surface by exopinacocytes and were subsequently drawn into the body, while other particles were drawn passively into the aquiferous system via ostia and were later phagocytized by choanocytes ( Girard et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo (2020) also recently found microfibers embedded on the surfaces of preserved museum sponge specimens representing 31 families. The authors predicted that the sponges, originally collected off the northern coast of Spain, were actively collecting fibers from the surrounding seawater and had been doing so for over 20 years ( Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…In other words, the authors suggested that the sponges would take up particles based on what was available in the surrounding seawater, and that any differences in the composition of incorporated particles between species depended only on particle spatial variation (Girard et al, 2021). Similarly, Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo (2020) found that fiber abundance in sponge ectosomes was independent of sponge species, habitat type and depth, and that fibers were likely ubiquitous in the surrounding seawater. Like these previous studies, our results indicate that particle uptake (amount and size) is independent of sponge species.…”

Section: Potential Microplastic In Spongesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors reported a maximum concentration of 612 foreign particles g -1 of dry sponge tissue, and concluded that sponges may act as bioindicators of marine microparticulate pollutants (Girard et al, 2021). Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo (2020) also recently found microfibers embedded on the surfaces of preserved museum sponge specimens representing 31 families. The authors predicted that the sponges, originally collected off the northern coast of Spain, were actively collecting fibers from the surrounding seawater and had been doing so for over 20 years (Modica, Lanuza & García-Castrillo, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plastics in Porifera: The occurrence of potential microplastics in marine sponges and seawater from Bocas del Toro, Panamá

Fallon¹,

Freeman²

2021

PeerJ

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Microplastics (MP) are now considered ubiquitous across global aquatic environments. The ingestion of MP by fish and other marine vertebrates is well studied, but the ingestion of MP by marine invertebrates is not. Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are particularly understudied when it comes to MP ingestion, even though they are widely distributed across benthic habitats, can process large volumes of seawater, and can retain small particles within their water filtration systems. This study examines the presence of potential MP (PMP) in wild marine sponges and seawater collected in Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Subsurface seawater and tissue from six common Caribbean sponge species was collected in Saigon Bay, a heavily impacted, shallow-water coral reef. Seawater samples were filtered onto glass fiber filters to retain any PMP present and sponge tissue was digested with bleach, heated and filtered. Filters were examined using fluorescence microscopy to quantify PMP. An average of 107 ± 25 PMP L–1 was detected in seawater from Saigon Bay with particles ranging in size between 10 μm and ~3,000 μm. The number of PMP found in sponge tissue ranged between 6 ± 4 and 169 ± 71 PMP g–1 of dry tissue. Most particles found in sponge samples were very small (10–20 μm), but fibers greater than 5,000 μm were detected. Our results indicate that PMP exists within the tissues of the sponges we studied, but future studies should confirm the presence of MP in sponges using chemical analysis. Most importantly, the discrepancy between low levels of PMP in our sponge samples and high levels in the surrounding seawater highlights the potential for sponges to resist and/or egest MP. Finally, we provide a critical evaluation of our methods to improve their use in future MP work with benthic marine organisms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Potential Microplastic In Spongesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plastics in Porifera: The occurrence of potential microplastics in marine sponges and seawater from Bocas del Toro, Panamá

Fallon¹,

Freeman²

2021

PeerJ

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Can natural history collection specimens be used as aquatic microplastic pollution bioindicators?

Dettling,

Samadi,

Ratti

et al. 2024

Ecological Indicators

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Sponges as bioindicators for microparticulate pollutants?

Girard

Fuchs

Kaliwoda³

et al. 2021

Environmental Pollution

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Amongst other threats, the world's oceans are faced with man-made pollution, including an increasing number of microparticulate pollutants. Sponges, aquatic filter-feeding animals, are able to incorporate fine foreign particles, and thus may be a potential bioindicator for microparticulate pollutants. To address this question, 15 coral reef demosponges sampled around Bangka Island (North Sulawesi, Indonesia) were analyzed for the nature of their foreign particle content using traditional histological methods, advanced light microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Sampled sponges accumulated and embedded the very fine sediment fraction (< 200 µm), absent in the surrounding sand, in the ectosome (outer epithelia) and spongin fibers (skeletal elements), which was confirmed by two-photon microscopy. A total of 34 different particle types were identified, of which degraded man-made products, i.e., polystyrene, cotton, titanium dioxide and blue-pigmented particles, were incorporated by eight specimens at concentrations between 91 to 612 particle/g dry sponge tissue. As sponges can weigh several hundreds of grams, we conservatively extrapolate that sponges can incorporate on average 10,000 microparticulate pollutants in their tissue. The uptake of particles, however, appears independent of the material, which suggests that the fluctuation in material ratios is due to the spatial variation of surrounding microparticles. Therefore, sponges have a strong potential to biomonitor microparticulate pollutants, such as microplastics and other degraded industrial products.

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Surrounded by microplastic, since when? Testing the feasibility of exploring past levels of plastic microfibre pollution using natural history museum collections

Cited by 24 publications

References 37 publications

Plastics in Porifera: The occurrence of potential microplastics in marine sponges and seawater from Bocas del Toro, Panamá

Plastics in Porifera: The occurrence of potential microplastics in marine sponges and seawater from Bocas del Toro, Panamá

Can natural history collection specimens be used as aquatic microplastic pollution bioindicators?

Sponges as bioindicators for microparticulate pollutants?

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