Microplastics in Perna perna (Bivalvia: Mytilidae): A preliminary comparative assessment of a natural bank and a suspended culture in the Gulf of Cariaco, Venezuela
Keywords:
pollution, condition indices, mussel, microplastics, human healthAbstract
The growing presence of microplastics in marine environments represents a threat to filter-feeding organisms such as bivalves, which show a limited capacity to avoid exposure to these agents, readily ingesting polymer particles through their feeding. In this study, 160 mussels from a natural bed and a suspended culture were analyzed. Their physiological condition was evaluated through the condition index (CI3) and yield (R). Microplastics were separated from the samples for visual inspection using a stereoscopic microscope, quantifying their abundance and physically characterizing them. Cultured mussels exhibited higher total masses but lower physiological condition (CI3 = 32.1; R = 4.43) compared to wild organisms (CI3 = 43.9; R = 1.24). A marked difference in microplastic load was recorded: 315 particles in animals from the culture system compared with 12 particles in animals from the natural bed. Fibers predominated in both groups, with the cultured mussels showing significantly higher abundance. Significant differences were observed in physiological indices and in the bioaccumulation of microplastics between both groups (Mann-Whitney U, P<0.05), while a negative correlation was evident between the abundance of microplastics and the condition of the organisms (Spearman Rho, P<0.05). This finding indicates that culture systems may act as concentrators of microplastics, representing a potential risk to human health and marine ecosystems.
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