engleski

Level of microplastic contamination in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck, 1819) in the Adriatic Sea

Microplastic is a large and complex global environmental problem and one of the major aspects of pollution is the occurrence of microplastic in marine ecosystem. As filter feeding organisms mussels process relatively large amounts of water during feeding what maximizes exposure to any harmful material within the water column and can result in the accumulation of chemical pollutants and microplastic available in the environment. Also, the presence of microplastic in sefood could pose a threat to food safety. Here, we investigate the presence of microplastic in farmed - commercially grown and wild grown mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck, 1819) along the Adriatic Sea comprehending shellfish farming sites in the north (Lim bay, N=30), middle (Sibenik bay, N=30) and south (Mali Ston bay, N=30). Microplastic items (fragments, fibers and pellets) were recovered from the soft tissues of mussels and they varied depending on the item from 0.02 to 4.46 items/g in wild and 0.02 to 5.52 items/g in farmed and from 0.033 to 6.36 items/individual in wild and 0.33 to 5.43 items/individual in farmed. This first evaluation of microplastic in mussels in Croatian Adriatic Sea represents a baseline for further research. Results suggest that microplastic presence is widespread in Adriatic Sea and environmental monitoring is advisable.

microplastic ; Adriatic Sea ; mussels ; Mytilus galloprovincialis

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