Occurrence of Microfibers in Mussels Mytilus Galloprovincialis from the Tyrrhenian Sea

Abstract

An increasingly alarming scenario is arising from the finding of floating microplastic in marine environments. The most abundant micro-debris forms present in the environment are microplastics of fibrous shape, a ubiquitous microplastic pollution that was recognized as a potential environmental stressor. In this study, the occurrence of natural and synthetic microfibers in farmed mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the Tyrrhenian Sea was investigated. Microfibers were present in 74% of mussel samples, with a mean number of 14.57 microfibers/individual, corresponding to 3.13 microfibers/g w.w.. A negative correlation between the size of analysed mussels and the amount of microfibers/g w.w. (r(48)=-.339, p =.016) was detected, showing that smaller specimens contained more microfibers than the larger samples. Further studies are needed to adequately assess the risk that microfibers may pose for marine biota, also considering the commercial value as seafood items of many species of the Mytilus genus and the potential implication for human health.