Microplastics in Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: Comparison between Cultured and WildType Mussels from the Northern Adriatic
Source abstract
Abstract
This study aimed to assess microplastics (MPs) in the digestive glands of Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels. Mussels were collected from pristine, aquaculture, and port areas of the northern Adriatic Sea (Slovenia and Croatia coastline). MPs were detected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The characterized MPs were further categorized based on their shape, size, and color. The highest number of 32.85 ± 27.98 MPs per mussel digestive gland was found in the mussels sampled from the ACI marina Rovinj (Croatia). The predominant MPs found in the mussel digestive glands at all investigated locations belonged to the smallest analyzed category (5–10 μm in size) and exhibited spherical and fragment shapes. The most abundant MPs found in mussels by color were white particles. MPs were found in both wild and farmed mussels and, hence, the results point out that the abundance of microplastic pollution is omnipresent along the coastal waters of the northern Adriatic Sea.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Microplastics and Plastic Pollution · biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties · Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Faculty of Educational Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, Croatia
Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
METRIS Research Centre, Istrian University of Applied Sciences, Preradovićeva 9D, 52100 Pula, Croatia
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Zagrebačka 30, 52100 Pula, Croatia
Funding
Ministry of Science and Education, Republic of Croatia · Juraj Dobrila University of Pula by project
References (100+)
Show source-provided references
1. Ingested microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, Mytilus edulis (L.)10.1021/es800249a ↗
2. Arthur, C., Baker, J.E., and Bamford, H.A. (2008, January 9–11). Proceedings of the International Research Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects, and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris. Proceedings of the International Research Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects, and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, USA.
3. Microplastic pollution in the surface waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.10.007 ↗
4. Bergmann, M., Gutow, L., and Klages, M. (2015). Marine Anthropogenic Litter, Springer International Publishing.10.1007/978-3-319-16510-3 ↗
5. The status of marine debris/litter and plastic pollution in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME): 1980–202010.1016/j.envpol.2022.118919 ↗
6. The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: A review10.1016/j.envpol.2013.02.031 ↗
7. Microplastics, microfibres and nanoplastics cause variable sub-lethal responses in mussels (Mytilus spp.)10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111552 ↗
8. Miller, M.E., Hamann, M., and Kroon, F.J. (2020). Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in marine organisms: A review and meta-analysis of current data. PLoS ONE, 15.10.1371/journal.pone.0240792 ↗
9. Impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: Present perspectives and the way forward10.1016/j.ejar.2022.03.001 ↗
10. Microplastics in oceans10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.02.040 ↗
11. Vasilakopoulos, P., Palialexis, A., Boschetti, S.T., Cardoso, A.C., Druon, J.-N., Konrad, C., Kotta, M., Magliozzi, C., Palma, M., and Piroddi, C. (2022). Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Thresholds for MSFD Criteria: State of Play and Next Steps, Publications Office of the European Union. JRC128344.
12. Kershaw, P.J. (2015). Sources, Fate and Effects of Microplastics in the Marine Environment: A Global Assessment, Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection.
13. Occurrence, distribution, and associated pollutants of plastic pellets (nurdles) in coastal areas of South Texas10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156826 ↗
14. Risk assessment framework for microplastic in marine environments10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166459 ↗
15. From cracks to secondary microplastics-surface characterization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) during weathering10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141305 ↗
16. Boucher, J., and Friot, D. (2017). Primary Microplastics in the Oceans: A Global Evaluation of Sources, IUCN.10.2305/IUCN.CH.2017.01.en ↗
17. Secondary microplastics generation in the sea swash zone with coarse bottom sediments: Laboratory experiments10.3389/fmars.2018.00313 ↗
18. Environmental degradation and formation of secondary microplastics from packaging material: A polypropylene film case study10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2021.109794 ↗
19. Microplastic sources, formation, toxicity and remediation: A review10.1007/s10311-023-01593-3 ↗
20. Microplastics in the marine environment: A review of the methods used for identification and quantification10.1021/es2031505 ↗
21. Where are we? Towards an understanding of the selective accumulation of microplastics in mussels10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117543 ↗
22. Sea surface microplastics in Slovenian part of the Northern Adriatic, Mar10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.031 ↗
23. Plastic debris in the Mediterranean Sea: Types, occurrence and distribution along Adriatic shorelines10.1016/j.wasman.2017.05.020 ↗
24. Microplastic Contamination in Protected Areas of the Gulf of Venice10.1007/s11270-021-05323-9 ↗
25. Microplastics at the strandlines of Slovenian beaches10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.054 ↗
26. Bošković, N., Joksimović, D., Peković, M., Perošević-Bajčeta, A., and Bajt, O. (2021). Microplastics in Surface Sediments along the Montenegrin Coast, Adriatic Sea: Types, Occurrence, and Distribution. J. Mar. Sci. Eng., 9.10.3390/jmse9080841 ↗
27. Pollutants bioavailability and toxicological risk from microplastics to marine mussels10.1016/j.envpol.2014.12.021 ↗
28. Characterization of microplastic litter in the gastrointestinal tract of Solea solea from the Adriatic Sea10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.038 ↗
29. Microplastics in fish and sediments from the Montenegrin coast (Adriatic Sea): Similarities in accumulation10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158074 ↗
30. Preliminary results on the occurrence and anatomical distribution of microplastics in wild populations of Nephrops norvegicus from the Adriatic Sea10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116872 ↗
31. Environmental status of the NE Adriatic Sea, Istria, Croatia: Insights from mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis condition indices, stable isotopes and metal (loid)s10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.052 ↗
32. Microplastics in mussels along the coastal waters of China10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.012 ↗
33. Hamer, B., Korlević, M., Durmiši, E., Nerlović, V., and Bierne, N. (2012). Nuclear marker Me 15–16 analyses of Mytilus galloprovincialis populations along the eastern Adriatic coast. Cah. Biol. Mar., 53.
34. Microplastic fiber uptake, ingestion, and egestion rates in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.061 ↗
35. An assessment of the ability to ingest and excrete microplastics by filter-feeders: A case study with the Mediterranean mussel10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.038 ↗
36. Mytilus galloprovincialis filter feeding on the bacterial community in a Mediterranean coastal area (Northern Ionian Sea, Italy)10.1016/j.watres.2004.10.010 ↗
37. Effects of temperature on scope for growth and accumulation of Cd, Co, Cu and Pb by the marine bivalve Mytilus edulis10.1016/j.marenvres.2006.08.005 ↗
38. Lipid and fatty acid biomarkers as proxies for environmental contamination in caged mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.05.002 ↗
39. Biochemical responses and accumulation patterns of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to thermal stress and Arsenic contamination10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.09.051 ↗
40. Tissue-scale microbiota of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and its relationship with the environment10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137209 ↗
41. Accumulation Evaluation of Potential Microplastic Particles in Mytilus galloprovincialis from the Goro Sacca (Adriatic Sea, Italy)10.3390/microplastics1020022 ↗
42. Quality assessment of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis): Comparison between commercial and wild types10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.006 ↗
43. Physiological indices of maricultured mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 in Istria, Croatia: Seasonal and transplantation effect10.1111/jwas.12316 ↗
44. Microplastic contamination in natural mussel beds from a Brazilian urbanized coastal region: Rapid evaluation through bioassessment10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.074 ↗
45. Mytilus spp. as sentinels for monitoring microplastic pollution in Norwegian coastal waters: A qualitative and quantitative study10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.077 ↗
46. The existence of microplastic in Asian green mussels
47. Using mussel as a global bioindicator of coastal microplastic pollution10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.032 ↗
48. Microplastics in four bivalve species and basis for using bivalves as bioindicators of microplastic pollution10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146830 ↗
49. Microplastics in seafood: Relative input of Mytilus galloprovincialis and table salt in mussel dishes10.1016/j.foodres.2022.110973 ↗
50. Microplastic abundances in co-occurring marine mussels: Species and spatial differences
51. Microplastic contamination in Indian edible mussels (Perna perna and Perna viridis) and their environs10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112678 ↗
52. Microplastics in mussels and fish from the Northern Ionian Sea10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.063 ↗
53. Effects of environmentally relevant levels of polyethylene microplastic on Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca: Bivalvia): Filtration rate and oxidative stress10.1007/s11356-021-12506-8 ↗
54. Time-course distribution of fluorescent microplastics in target tissues of mussels and polychaetes10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137087 ↗
55. Polystyrene nanoplastics in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122104 ↗
56. Adherence of microplastics to soft tissue of mussels: A novel way to uptake microplastics beyond ingestion10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.053 ↗
57. Uptake and effects of microplastics on cells and tissue of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis L. after an experimental exposure10.1021/es302332w ↗
58. Polyethylene microbeads induce transcriptional responses with tissue-dependent patterns in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis10.1093/mollus/eyx005 ↗
59. Masiá, P., Ardura, A., and García-Vázquez, E. (2021). Virgin polystyrene microparticles exposure leads to changes in gills DNA and physical condition in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Animals, 11.10.3390/ani11082317 ↗
60. Mussel digestive gland as a model tissue for assessing xenobiotics: An overview10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.264 ↗
61. Size-dependent elimination of ingested microplastics in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110512 ↗
62. Biodynamics of mercury in mussel tissues as a function of exposure pathway: Natural vs microplastic routes10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.175 ↗
63. Microplastic ingestion by quagga mussels, Dreissena bugensis, and its effects on physiological processes10.1016/j.envpol.2020.113964 ↗
64. Trophic level transfer of microplastic: Mytilus edulis (L.) to Carcinus maenas (L.)10.1016/j.envpol.2013.01.046 ↗
65. Single and repetitive microplastics exposures induce immune system modulation and homeostasis alteration in the edible mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis10.1016/j.fsi.2018.09.018 ↗
66. Impacts of microplastic fibres on the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovinciallis10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128290 ↗
67. Ingestion of microplastics and its potential for causing structural alterations and oxidative stress in Indian green mussel Perna viridis—A multiple biomarker approach10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130979 ↗
68. Effects of nanopolystyrene on the feeding behavior of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis L.)10.1002/etc.1984 ↗
69. Depuration reduces microplastic content in wild and farmed mussels10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.044 ↗
70. Capture, ingestion, and egestion of microplastics by suspension-feeding bivalves: A 40-year history10.1139/anc-2018-0027 ↗
71. Selective ingestion and egestion of plastic particles by the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica): Implications for using bivalves as bioindicators of microplastic pollution10.1021/acs.est.9b02073 ↗
72. Transfer of benzo [a] pyrene from microplastics to Artemia nauplii and further to zebrafish via a trophic food web experiment: CYP1A induction and visual tracking of persistent organic pollutants10.1002/etc.3361 ↗
73. Low levels of microplastics (MP) in wild mussels indicate that MP ingestion by humans is minimal compared to exposure via household fibres fallout during a meal10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.069 ↗
74. Field-based evidence for microplastic in marine aggregates and mussels: Implications for trophic transfer10.1021/acs.est.8b03467 ↗
75. Assessing the relationship between the abundance and properties of microplastics in water and in mussels10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.284 ↗
76. Experimental development of a new protocol for extraction and characterization of microplastics in fish tissues: First observations in commercial species from Adriatic Sea10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.06.014 ↗
77. Microplastics can act as vector of the biocide triclosan exerting damage to freshwater microalgae10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129193 ↗
78. Cu (II) adsorption on Poly (Lactic Acid) Microplastics: Significance of microbial colonization and degradation10.1016/j.cej.2021.132306 ↗
79. A critical view on microplastic quantification in aquatic organisms10.1016/j.envres.2015.07.016 ↗
80. Insights into the uptake, elimination and accumulation of microplastics in mussel10.1016/j.envpol.2019.03.037 ↗
81. Microplastics in seawater: Sampling strategies, laboratory methodologies, and identification techniques applied to port environment10.1007/s11356-020-07783-8 ↗
82. Pavičić-Hamer, D., Kovačić., I., Sović, T., Marelja, M., and Lyons, D.M. (2022). Exposure to Polymethylmethacrylate Microplastics Induces a Particle Size-Dependent Immune Response in Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Fishes, 7.10.3390/fishes7060307 ↗
83. Microplastic pollution profile of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected along the Turkish coasts10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127570 ↗
84. Towards the suitable monitoring of ingestion of microplastics by marine biota: A review10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.076 ↗
85. Microscopy and elemental analysis characterisation of microplastics in sediment of a freshwater urban river in Scotland, UK10.1007/s11356-019-04678-1 ↗
86. Uptake and absorption of fluoranthene from spiked microplastics into the digestive gland tissues of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis L10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130480 ↗
87. (2013, October 23). CDI–Marine Data Access. Available online: http://harmonia.maris2.nl/search.
88. Microplastics in surface waters and sediments of the Wei River, in the northwest of China10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.332 ↗
89. Microplastics in bivalves cultured for human consumption10.1016/j.envpol.2014.06.010 ↗
90. A temporal record of microplastic pollution in Mediterranean seagrass soils10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116451 ↗
91. Regional approach to modeling the transport of floating plastic debris in the Adriatic Sea10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.031 ↗
92. Coastal accumulation of microplastic particles emitted from the Po River, Northern Italy: Comparing remote sensing and hydrodynamic modelling with in situ sample collections10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.11.045 ↗
93. Microplastic ingestion by commercial marine fish from the seawater of Northwest Peninsular Malaysia10.7717/peerj.13181 ↗
94. Miserli, K., Lykos, C., Kalampounias, A.G., and Konstantinou, I. (2023). Screening of Microplastics in Aquaculture Systems (Fish, Mussel, and Water Samples) by FTIR, Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Micro-Raman Spectroscopies. Appl. Sci., 13.10.3390/app13179705 ↗
95. Testing quality of sea water from the Adriatic coast of Croatia with toxicity, genotoxicity and DNA integrity tests
96. Adriatic coast as a microcosm for global genotoxic marine contamination––A long-term field study10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.04.046 ↗
97. Determination of microplastics in the edible green-lipped mussel Perna viridis using an automated mapping technique of Raman microspectroscopy10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126541 ↗
98. Microplastics in the New Zealand green lipped mussel Perna canaliculus10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110641 ↗
99. Microplastics are taken up by mussels (Mytilus edulis) and lugworms (Arenicola marina) living in natural habitats10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.008 ↗
100. Microplastics in a freshwater mussel (Anodonta anatina) in Northern Europe10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134192 ↗