Bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their human health risks depend on the characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms of Sanggou Bay, China

Abstract

Microplastics pose a threat to marine environments through their physical presence and as vectors of chemical pollutants. However, the impact of microplastics on the accumulation and human health risk of chemical pollutants in marine organisms remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the microplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in marine organisms from Sanggou Bay and analyzed their correlations. Results showed that microplastic and PAHs concentration ranged from 1.23 ± 0.23 to 5.77 ± 1.10 items/g, from 6.98 ± 0.45 to 15.07 ± 1.25μg/kg, respectively. The microplastic abundance, particularly of fibers, transparent and color plastic debris, correlates strongly with PAH contents, indicating that microplastics increase the bioaccumulation of PAHs and microplastics with these characteristics have a significant vector effect on PAHs. Although consuming seafood from Sanggou Bay induce no carcinogenic risk from PAHs, the presence of microplastics in organisms can significantly increases incremental lifetime cancer risk of PAHs. Thus, microplastics can serve as transport vectors for PAHs with implications for the potential health risks to human through consumption. This study provides new insight into the risks of microplastics in marine environments. Environmental implicationWe investigated the microplastic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in marine organisms from Sanggou Bay and analyzed their correlations. The microplastic abundance showed significant positive correlation with the total content of PAHs, suggesting that microplastics increase the bioaccumulation of PAHs. Consuming organisms from Sanggou Bay pose no carcinogenic risk associated with PAHs. However, there was a significant positive correlation between the abundance of microplastics in organisms and the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk, suggesting that microplastics enhanced the human health risk of PAHs. This study provides new insight into the risks of microplastics in marine environments.