Microplastic
particles exposed to freshwater or saltwater environments are more likely than
original, non-exposed particles to be taken up into an animal s cells,
according to new research.
The
study offers new evidence that certain microplastics have more potential to
infiltrate animals bodies than previously thought – and this could be of
particular concern for aquatic animals.
Microplastics,
or tiny pieces of plastic, are everywhere, including Mount Everest. Over
time, plastics discarded by humans break down into small pieces and spread
across the environment, especially marine and freshwater ecosystems, and are
consumed by organisms including mussels and zebrafish.
But
so much about microplastics has not been studied, including whether particles
According to researchers from Germany, the microplastics found in the popular mollusc could be an indicator of how polluted the oceans are around them.
“If you eat mussels, you eat microplastics,” a new study by the University of Bayreuth, led by Dr Christian Laforsch, has warned.
The Bayreuth team investigated the microplastic load of four mussel species available in supermarkets from 12 countries around the world. All the samples analysed contained microplastic particles, and the researchers detected a total of nine different types of plastic. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the most common types of plastic, according to the study. Both are plastics ubiquitous to people’s everyday lives all over the world, used in things like cling film and water bottles.
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E-Mail If you eat mussels, you eat microplastics. This was already known to a limited extent about mussels from individual ocean regions. A new study by the University of Bayreuth, led by Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch, reveals that this claim holds true globally. The Bayreuth team investigated the microplastic load of four mussel species which are particularly often sold as food in supermarkets from twelve countries around the world. The scientists now present their research results in the journal
Environmental Pollution.
All the samples analyzed contained microplastic particles, and the researchers detected a total of nine different types of plastic. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were the most common types of plastic. Both are plastics ubiquitous to people s everyday lives all over the world. To make the analyses of different sized mussels comparable, one gram of mussel meat was used as a fixed reference. According to the study, one gram of mussel me
Microplastic particles find their way into living cells if exposed to natural aquatic environments
The environment is polluted by microplastics worldwide. The tiny particles enter food chains, and thereby the digestive systems of animals and humans; moreover, they can be inhaled. Instead of being excreted, small microplastics can be incorporated into the body tissue.
A research team at the University of Bayreuth has now discovered that microplastic particles find their way into living cells more easily if they were exposed to natural aquatic environments, i.e. fresh water and seawater.
Biomolecules occurring in the water are deposited on the microplastic surfaces, which promote the internalization of the particles into cells. The researchers present their results in