A comparison of microplastic contamination characteristics among marine invertebrates inhabiting in urban, rural, and aquaculture areas

Abstract

Microplastics have become a global environmental concern because of their widespread presence in coastal areas, the open ocean, and polar regions. Microplastics in the environment originate from a variety of land- and sea-based sources. Regional industrial and human activities may affect the abundance and contamination characteristics of microplastics in their surrounding environment, which may be reflected to marine species living in its water body and transfer through their food web. This study investigated the contamination characteristics of microplastics in abiotic matrices such as seawater and sediment, and biotic matrices such as oyster, mussel, and lugworm in urban, aquafarm, and rural areas. In abiotic matrices, different polymer composition of microplastic was found among three regions. High diversity was found from urban area, implying diverse sources of microplastic in this area. Polystyrene was relatively abundant in aquafarm area, reflecting well the wide use of expanded polystyrene buoys. In rural area, polypropylene is relatively abundant, probably related with the wide use of polypropylene rope in fishing activity. Microplastic compositions in marine invertebrates followed well those in abiotic matrices. This result implies that the accumulation profile of microplastics by marine invertebrates reflects regional human activities.egional industrial and human activities may affect the abundance and contamination characteristics of microplastics in their surrounding environment, which may be reflected to marine species living in its water body and transfer through their food web. This study investigated the contamination characteristics of microplastics in abiotic matrices such as seawater and sediment, and biotic matrices such as oyster, mussel, and lugworm in urban, aquafarm, and rural areas. In abiotic matrices, different polymer composition of microplastic was found among three regions. High diversity was found from urban area, implying diverse sources of microplastic in this area. Polystyrene was relatively abundant in aquafarm area, reflecting well the wide use of expanded polystyrene buoys. In rural area, polypropylene is relatively abundant, probably related with the wide use of polypropylene rope in fishing activity. Microplastic compositions in marine invertebrates followed well those in abiotic matrices. This result implies that the accumulation profile of microplastics by marine invertebrates reflects regional human activities.