Microplastic intake of Unio mancus Lamarck 1819 collected from Ataturk Dam Lake, Türkiye

Abstract

: Plastic pollution has emerged as a prominent environmental concern over recent decades, particularly due to its critical implications for seafood safety. In light of this, an investigation was conducted to assess the abundance and characteristics of microplastics (MPs) in Unio mancus Lamarck 1819, a freshwater bivalve inhabiting Atatürk Dam Lake in Türkiye. For the MPs analysis, a total of 20 U. mancus Lamarck 1819 specimens were collected from the lake, with shell lengths ranging from 7.7 to 10.1 cm and soft tissue weights varying from 21.46 to 49.1 g. The findings of this study revealed the presence of MPs-like particles in 12 out of the 20 mussels, with a total count of 42 particles. MPs concentration ranged from 0 to 9.9 MPs per individual, with an average of 1.89 ± 0.57 MPs per individual. When considering the soft tissue weight, MPs concentration ranged from 0 to 50.51 MPs per 100 g, with a mean of 6.91 ± 2.56 MPs per 100 g. µ-Raman analysis further confirmed that 90% of the particles were composed of various polymers. Among these, polypropylene (PP) constituted 40%, polyethylene (PE) accounted for 20%, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) comprised 10%, Nylon-6 constituted 10%, and cellulose represented 10% of the identified particles. Notably, fragments were the predominant shape observed in the samples, and the majority of MPs were less than 100 µm in length. This study provides valuable foundational data for establishing frequent MP monitoring routines in freshwater environments, considering that bivalves serve as key vectors of MP contamination in the context of human exposure.