Preliminary results on the occurrence and anatomical distribution of microplastics in wild populations of Nephrops norvegicus from the Adriatic Sea

This study reports the shapes, dimensional classes, types and counts of microplastics (MPs) found in 23 individuals of N. norvegicus collected from two wild populations of the Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean basin). The focus was on three different anatomical compartments (gut, hepatopancreas and tail), which were analysed separately. MPs were found in all the investigated individuals with an average of about 17 MPs/individual. Fragments were predominant over fibers with a ratio of about 3:1. The majority of MPs were in the dimensional range 50-100 mm. The predominant polymers were polyester, polyamide 6, polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene, which together constitute about 61% of all the MPs found. Frag-ments were more concentrated in the hepatopancreas, with no significant difference between gut and tail, while fibers were more concentrated in the gut than in the tail with hepatopancreas somehow in between. The dimensional class of the MPs influences their anatomical distribution. There were no statistical differences among individuals from the two sampling sites. Sex of the individual did not in-fluence the level of retained MPs, while length had a very marginal effect. The information reported here contributes to understanding of the possible risks linked to human consumption of different tissues from contaminated Norway lobsters. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study identified microplastics (MPs) in different anatomical compartments of Norway lobsters, with fragments being more concentrated in the hepatopancreas and fibers more in the gut. The predominant polymers were polyester, polyamide 6, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene. The size of MPs influenced their anatomical distribution, and there were no significant differences between individuals from different sampling sites. Individual sex did not affect the level of retained MPs.