Microplastic pollution in oyster bed ecosystems: An assessment of the northern shores of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Microplastics pollution in oyster bed ecosystems was investigated in this study. Microplastics in both sediments and oysters from five sites collected along the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) oyster bed ecosystem were assessed for abundance, as well as shape, size, color, and composition. The mean abundance in the sediment samples was 191.7 ± 95.5 MP/Kg of d.w., while the mean abundance in the oyster samples was 101.2 ± 93.8 MP/Kg of sample. In general, 100% of the sediment samples and 51% of the oysters showed the presence of microplastics, yet no correlation patterns between sediment and oysters were seen in the abundance of microplastics. The major shape of microplastics found in all the samples were fibers, accounting for 93 % in all the sites; while the most occurring color was black, accounting for 53% in both the sediment and oyster samples. The most dominant size range was 1.0-2.0mm, which accounted for 34% in both the sediment and oyster samples. This is the first study in the region investigating the presence of microplastics in oyster beds. Considering the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the sediments of the oyster beds in this study, their sources should be investigated and managed further as they can pose a potential threat to the marine ecosystem.