Microplastics in marine invertebrates from the Red Sea Coast of Egypt: Abundance, composition, and risks.

Autor: Abd-Elkader A; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University-Assiut Branch, Assiut 71524, Egypt., Hamed ESAE; National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, NIOF, Egypt. Electronic address: elsayed_pin@yahoo.com., Mahdy A; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University-Assiut Branch, Assiut 71524, Egypt. Electronic address: aldoushy@azhar.edu.eg., Shabaka S; National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, NIOF, Egypt. Electronic address: sh.shabaka@niof.sci.eg.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Marine pollution bulletin [Mar Pollut Bull] 2023 Dec; Vol. 197, pp. 115760. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 18.
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115760
Abstrakt: This study marked the first exploration of microplastics in marine invertebrates in the Red Sea Coast of Egypt. 110 individuals from 11 different species, including Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Echinoidea, and Holothuroidrea, were collected near a popular tourist destination. The average concentrations of microplastics varied among species, ranging from 8.2 to 136.5 items per individual or 0.2 to 18.1 items per gram of tissue wet weight, with 100 % occurrence. Bivalves had higher concentrations per gram of tissue compared to sediment dwellers and grazers, with Brachidontes pharaonis showing the highest levels. Actinopyga crassa, a sea cucumber, displayed the highest abundance per individual due to its large size and behavior. The identified plastic polymers suggested sources associated with tourism and maritime activities. The estimated human exposure to microplastics through bivalve consumption was minimal. Further research is needed to examine microplastics contamination in the Red Sea and its potential impacts on ecosystems and human well-being.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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