AUTHOR=Zhang Tao , Song Kexin , Meng Liting , Tang Ruikai , Song Tongtong , Huang Wei , Feng Zhihua 

TITLE=Distribution and Characteristics of Microplastics in Barnacles and Wild Bivalves on the Coast of the Yellow Sea, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.789615

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.789615

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Barnacles and bivalves are two well-known sessile invertebrates that play important roles in marine ecosystems. Microplastic pollution has attracted widespread attention. Wild bivalves and barnacles are smaller than farmed individuals; thus, they may be more sensitive to microplastics. However, little is known about the abundance and spatial distribution of microplastics (MPs) in wild bivalves along the coastal areas of China. This study evaluated MP pollution in the most abundant bivalves and barnacles (Crassostrea gigas, Ostrea cucullata, Mytilus edulis and Balanus albicostatus) at five stations in the intertidal zone of the Yellow Sea. B. albicostatus were divided into ecotype A and ecotype B. The abundance of MPs in wild bivalves and barnacles varied from 0-2.25 items/individual and 0-118.21 items/g. O. cucullata and B. albicostatus (ecotype A) had the highest abundance of MPs, with average abundances of 0.56 ± 0.36 items/individual and 21.59 ± 27.26 items/g, respectively. The types of MPs found in bivalves and barnacles include fibers, fragments, films and microbeads. The most abundant size was less than 1000 μm, which accounted for 53% of the total MPs. CP, PP, PE and PET were the main polymer types in bivalves and barnacles. This study suggested that the abundance of microplastics in wild bivalves is close to that of farmed bivalves with commercial specifications, despite their smaller size. The MP abundance of barnacles in the Yellow Sea is higher than that in other areas in terms of items per gram. In addition, the ecological type may affect the ability of barnacles to accumulate microplastics. Ingestion of MPs by wild bivalves and barnacles should be of concern because they may enter the human body through the food web and may pose a potential threat to human health.