Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants
Invasive zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) in the Great Lakes of North America are biomonitors for chemical contaminants, but are also exposed to microplastics (<5 mm). Little research has examined in situ microplastic ingestion by dreissenid mussels, or the relationship between micro...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.690401/full |
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| author | Timothy Hoellein Catherine Rovegno Amy V. Uhrin Ed Johnson Carlie Herring Carlie Herring Carlie Herring |
| author_facet | Timothy Hoellein Catherine Rovegno Amy V. Uhrin Ed Johnson Carlie Herring Carlie Herring Carlie Herring |
| author_sort | Timothy Hoellein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Invasive zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) in the Great Lakes of North America are biomonitors for chemical contaminants, but are also exposed to microplastics (<5 mm). Little research has examined in situ microplastic ingestion by dreissenid mussels, or the relationship between microplastics and chemical contaminants. We measured microplastics and chemical contaminants in mussel tissue from Milwaukee Harbor (Lake Michigan, United States) harvested from reference locations and sites influenced by wastewater effluent and urban river discharge. Mussels were deployed in cages in the summer of 2018, retrieved after 30 and 60 days, sorted by size class, and analyzed for microplastics and body burdens of three classes of contaminants: alkylphenols, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and petroleum biomarkers. Microplastics in mussels were higher in the largest mussels at the wastewater-adjacent site after 30 days deployment. However, there was no distinction among sites for microplastics in smaller mussels, and no differences among sites after 60 days of deployment. Microplastics and chemical contaminants in mussels were not correlated. Microplastics have a diversity of intrinsic and extrinsic factors which influence their ingestion, retention, and egestion by mussels, and which vary relative to chemicals. While dreissenid mussels may not serve as plastic pollution biomonitors like they can for chemical contaminants, microplastics in dreissenid mussels are widespread, variable, and have unknown effects on physiology, mussel-mediated ecosystem processes, and lake food webs. These data will inform our understanding of the spatial distribution of microplastics in urban freshwaters, the role of dreissenid mussels in plastic budgets, and models for the fate of plastic pollution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T10:04:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2bb146ea6d2b44ff84c9c98eb16b3c16 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T10:04:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-2bb146ea6d2b44ff84c9c98eb16b3c162022-12-21T22:35:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-06-01810.3389/fmars.2021.690401690401Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical ContaminantsTimothy Hoellein0Catherine Rovegno1Amy V. Uhrin2Ed Johnson3Carlie Herring4Carlie Herring5Carlie Herring6Depatment of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepatment of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesNOAA Marine Debris Program, Silver Spring, MD, United StatesNOAA – National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Silver Spring, MD, United StatesNOAA Marine Debris Program, Silver Spring, MD, United StatesI.M. Systems Group, Rockville, MD, United StatesLynker Technologies, Leesburg, VA, United StatesInvasive zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) in the Great Lakes of North America are biomonitors for chemical contaminants, but are also exposed to microplastics (<5 mm). Little research has examined in situ microplastic ingestion by dreissenid mussels, or the relationship between microplastics and chemical contaminants. We measured microplastics and chemical contaminants in mussel tissue from Milwaukee Harbor (Lake Michigan, United States) harvested from reference locations and sites influenced by wastewater effluent and urban river discharge. Mussels were deployed in cages in the summer of 2018, retrieved after 30 and 60 days, sorted by size class, and analyzed for microplastics and body burdens of three classes of contaminants: alkylphenols, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and petroleum biomarkers. Microplastics in mussels were higher in the largest mussels at the wastewater-adjacent site after 30 days deployment. However, there was no distinction among sites for microplastics in smaller mussels, and no differences among sites after 60 days of deployment. Microplastics and chemical contaminants in mussels were not correlated. Microplastics have a diversity of intrinsic and extrinsic factors which influence their ingestion, retention, and egestion by mussels, and which vary relative to chemicals. While dreissenid mussels may not serve as plastic pollution biomonitors like they can for chemical contaminants, microplastics in dreissenid mussels are widespread, variable, and have unknown effects on physiology, mussel-mediated ecosystem processes, and lake food webs. These data will inform our understanding of the spatial distribution of microplastics in urban freshwaters, the role of dreissenid mussels in plastic budgets, and models for the fate of plastic pollution.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.690401/fullbiomonitoringfreshwater ecosystemsGreat Lakesbivalvesmicroplasticsemerging contaminants |
| spellingShingle | Timothy Hoellein Catherine Rovegno Amy V. Uhrin Ed Johnson Carlie Herring Carlie Herring Carlie Herring Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants Frontiers in Marine Science biomonitoring freshwater ecosystems Great Lakes bivalves microplastics emerging contaminants |
| title | Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants |
| title_full | Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants |
| title_fullStr | Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants |
| title_short | Microplastics in Invasive Freshwater Mussels (Dreissena sp.): Spatiotemporal Variation and Occurrence With Chemical Contaminants |
| title_sort | microplastics in invasive freshwater mussels dreissena sp spatiotemporal variation and occurrence with chemical contaminants |
| topic | biomonitoring freshwater ecosystems Great Lakes bivalves microplastics emerging contaminants |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.690401/full |
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