Abstract
Mussels have been identified as sentinel organisms (around the world) that indicate microplastic (MP) pollution. Since they are filter feeders, they easily uptake MPs. Mussels sold in commercial markets have been identified as an ideal way to directly quantify human exposure to MPs through seafood consumption. There are no studies reported on MP contamination of market-sold species in Thailand. This study investigates the level of MP contamination in market-sold green mussels, which is a popular seafood in Thailand. A total of 90 green mussels (Perna viridis) collected from three markets were analyzed for the number, polymer types, and morphology of the MPs. Fourier-Transform Infrared Micro-Spectroscopy (micro-FTIR) analysis was used for polymer identification. Nile Red (NR) tagging was used for the enumeration of MPs. MPs were widely discovered in green mussels from all three markets with 100% detection frequency. The average abundance of MPs in green mussels was quantified as 7.32 ± 8.33 items/mussel and 1.53 ± 2.04 items/g (wet weight). Ethylene/propylene copolymer followed by low-density polyethylene (PE-LD), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were found. Fragments (75.4%) were the most common morphotype, followed by fibers (24.6%). Results indicate that the consumption of green mussels as a food can be one of the exposure pathways for the Thai population. Moreover, smaller size MPs were predominant, which are reported to cause higher impacts.
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Acknowledgements
The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand is acknowledged for financial support. This research was partially supported by the Matching Fund between Thammasat University and the National Taipei University of Technology, Contract No. MF 3/2564.
Funding
This research was supported by the scholarship granted to the first author by The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand. Partial research fund was also obtained from Thammasat University research grant to Sandhya Babel.
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H.U.E. Imasha conducted the research and wrote the draft paper. Sandhya Babel, the corresponding author, planned and supervised the research and also corrected the manuscript.
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Imasha, H.U.E., Babel, S. Microplastics Contamination in Commercial Green Mussels from Selected Wet Markets in Thailand. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 81, 449–459 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-021-00886-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-021-00886-4