mussels Archives - One Earth - One Ocean e. V.

Pollutants bioavailability and toxicological risk from microplastics to marine mussels

guenther — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 21:33:49 +0000

Carlo Giacomo Avio, Stefania Gorbi, Massimo Milan, Maura Benedetti,
Daniele Fattorini, Giuseppe d’Errico, Marianna Pauletto, Luca
Bargelloni, Francesco Regoli, Pollutants bioavailability and
toxicological risk from microplastics to marine mussels, Environmental
Pollution, Volume 198, March 2015, Pages 211-222, ISSN 0269-7491,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.12.021.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749114005211)
Abstract: Microplastics represent a growing environmental concern for
the oceans due to their potential of adsorbing chemical pollutants, thus
representing a still unexplored source of exposure for aquatic
organisms. In this study polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS)
microplastics were shown to adsorb pyrene with a time and dose-dependent
relationship. Results also indicated a marked capability of contaminated
microplastics to transfer this model PAH to exposed mussels Mytilus
galloprovincialis; tissue localization of microplastics occurred in
haemolymph, gills and especially digestive tissues where a marked
accumulation of pyrene was also observed. Cellular effects included
alterations of immunological responses, lysosomal compartment,
peroxisomal proliferation, antioxidant system, neurotoxic effects, onset
of genotoxicity; changes in gene expression profile was also
demonstrated through a new DNA microarray platform. The study provided
the evidence that microplastics adsorb PAHs, emphasizing an elevated
bioavailability of these chemicals after the ingestion, and the
toxicological implications due to responsiveness of several molecular
and cellular pathways to microplastics.
Keywords: Microplastic; PAHs; Bioavailability; Biomarkers; Mussels;
Transcriptomics

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Quality assessment of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis): Comparison between commercial and wild types

guenther — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 20:39:26 +0000

B. De Witte, L. Devriese, K. Bekaert, S. Hoffman, G. Vandermeersch, K.
Cooreman, J. Robbens, Quality assessment of the blue mussel (Mytilus
edulis): Comparison between commercial and wild types, Marine Pollution
Bulletin, Volume 85, Issue 1, 15 August 2014, Pages 146-155, ISSN
0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.006.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14003671)
Abstract: This study compared species identity, microplastics, chemical
and microbial contamination between consumption mussels and wild type
mussels, collected at Belgian department stores and Belgian groynes and
quaysides, respectively. Species identification based on genetic
analysis showed a high number of Mytilus (M.) edulis compared to M.
galloprovincialis and M. edulis/galloprovincialis hybrid mussels. The
number of total microplastics varied from 2.6 to 5.1 fibres/10 g of
mussel. A higher prevalence of orange fibres at quaysides is related to
fisheries activities. Chemical contamination of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and polychlorobiphenyls could be related to industrial
activities and water turbidity, with maximum concentrations at the
quayside of port Zeebrugge. The inverse was noted for Escherichia coli
contamination, which was relatively low at Zeebrugge quayside with a
total count of 3.9 × 102 CFU/100 g tissue, due to limited agricultural
effluents. Results of this complementary analysis stress the importance
of integrated monitoring and quality assessment.
Keywords: Mytilus edulis; Mussels; PAH; PCB; E. coli; Microplastics

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Amount and type of derelict gear from the declining black pearl oyster aquaculture in the atoll lagoon, French Polynesia,

guenther — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 14:33:38 +0000

Serge Andréfouët, Yoann Thomas, Cedrik Lo, Amount and type of derelict
gear from the declining black pearl oyster aquaculture in Ahe atoll
lagoon, French Polynesia, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 83, Issue 1,
15 June 2014, Pages 224-230, ISSN 0025-326X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.048.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X1400191X)
Abstract: Pearl oyster aquaculture is a major activity in French
Polynesia atoll lagoons. After the economic decline that characterized
the last decade, concerns recently rose about discarded installations
and materials that supported aquaculture practices and by facilities
abandoned after they had to close their activities. In May 2013, a first
inventory of the type and amount of pearl farms derelict gear (PFDG) was
achieved on 47 sites in Ahe lagoon. Surveys were conducted within and
outside the boundaries of aquaculture concessions. Twenty types of PFDG
littered the lagoon floor and the water column. The most impacted areas
were near abandoned grafting houses with up to nine types of PFDG.
Forty-five percent of the sites were impacted, including outside
concessions. While management authorities are fully aware of the
problem, this first assessment is a wake-up call to stimulate the
cleaning of lagoons, enhance awareness among farmers, and identify
potential ecological consequences on lagoon ecosystems.
Keywords: Aquaculture; Marine debris; Pearl farm derelict gear; Atoll

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Microplastic fibers in the intertidal ecosystem surrounding Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia

guenther — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:34:03 +0000

Alysse Mathalon, Paul Hill, Microplastic fibers in the intertidal
ecosystem surrounding Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia, Marine Pollution
Bulletin, Available online 17 March 2014, ISSN 0025-326X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.02.018.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14001143)

Humans continue to increase the use and disposal of plastics by producing over 240 million tonnes per year, polluting the oceans with persistent waste. The majority of plastic in the oceans are microplastics (<5 mm). In this study, the contamination of microplastic fibers was quantified in sediments from the intertidal zones of one exposed beach and two protected beaches along Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. From the two protected beaches, polychaete worm fecal casts and live blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were analyzed for microplastic content. Store-bought mussels from an aquaculture site were also analyzed. The average microplastic abundance observed from 10 g sediment subsamples was between 20 and 80 fibers, with higher concentrations at the high tide line from the exposed beach and at the low tide line from the protected beaches. Microplastic concentrations from polychaete fecal casts resembled concentrations quantified from low tide sediments. In two separate mussel analyses, significantly more microplastics were enumerated in farmed mussels compared to wild ones.

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