Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in bivalves and lugworms from urban, aquafarm and rural areas of the Korean coasts

Abstract

There are increasing observations of microplastic ingestion by marine organisms representing various trophic levles including seabirds, marine mammals, fish and invertebrates. In particular, microplastics can be ingested by low trophic level species such as lugworms, amphipods and barnacles, mussels, and zooplankton due to their small size. Bivalves and lugworms have been widely used as biological indicators of environmental pollution in various monitoring programes by virtue of their broad geograhical distribution, easy assessiblity, high tolerence to salinity, and limited mobility. Similary, bivalves can be useful bioindicators for assessing microplastic pollution in water colume because they filter large volumes of seawater, while lugworms can reflect microplastic pollution in bottom sediment. In order to assess the contamination status of microplastics in marine invetebrates and their contamination characteristics according to diffent feeding habitats and regional sources, mussels (M. edulis), oysters (C. gigas), and lugworms (Perinereis aibuhitensis) were collected from aquafarm, urban and rural areas in the southern coast of South Korea. Microplastic pollution was widespread in three marine invetebtate species inhabiting the coastal waters of South Korea. Total 1346 microplastics were identifyed from 103 individuals using μFT-IR. Interspecies and regional differences was observed in the levels and polymeric col species such as lugworms, amphipods and barnacles, mussels, and zooplankton due to their small size. Bivalves and lugworms have been widely used as biological indicators of environmental pollution in various monitoring programes by virtue of their broad geograhical distribution, easy assessiblity, high tolerence to salinity, and limited mobility. Similary, bivalves can be useful bioindicators for assessing microplastic pollution in water colume because they filter large volumes of seawater, while lugworms can reflect microplastic pollution in bottom sediment. In order to assess the contamination status of microplastics in marine invetebrates and their contamination characteristics according to diffent feeding habitats and regional sources, mussels (M. edulis), oysters (C. gigas), and lugworms (Perinereis aibuhitensis) were collected from aquafarm, urban and rural areas in the southern coast of South Korea. Microplastic pollution was widespread in three marine invetebtate species inhabiting the coastal waters of South Korea. Total 1346 microplastics were identifyed from 103 individuals using μFT-IR. Interspecies and regional differences was observed in the levels and polymeric co