Microplastic concentrations in two Oregon bivalve species: Spatial, temporal, and species variability

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography Letters
• Main Authors: Britta R. Baechler, Elise F. Granek, Matthew V. Hunter, Kathleen E. Conn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2020
• Subjects: Oceanography; GC1-1581; Pacific; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10124; https://doaj.org/article/f03ff32ffc0a4495a3a63b55c7fb6a53

Abstract Microplastics are an ecological stressor with implications for ecosystem and human health when present in seafood. We quantified microplastic types, concentrations, anatomical burdens, geographic distribution, and temporal differences in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) from 15 Oregon coast, U.S.A. sites. Microplastics were present in organisms from all sites. On average, whole oysters and razor clams contained 10.95 ± 0.77 and 8.84 ± 0.45 microplastic pieces per individual, or 0.35 ± 0.04 pieces g−1 tissue and 0.16 ± 0.02 pieces g−1 tissue, respectively. Contamination was quantified but not subtracted. Over 99% of microplastics were fibers. Material type was determined using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. Spring samples contained more microplastics than summer samples in oysters but not razor clams. Our study is the first to document microplastics in Pacific razor clams and provides important coast‐wide data to compare microplastic burden across species, seasons, and sites.