The pollution of waters and oceans due to the tiny plastic particles has for some time been in the focus of environmental research. The so-called micro – or nano plastic has been proven in all sorts of sizes and concentrations in many regions of the world oceans, whether on the beach, remote Islands, or in the ice of the Arctic. Even in the refined food sea salt, Fleur de Sel, which is skimmed from the surface of the water, researchers have already found micro-plastic.
Since it is not surprising, actually, that the fine plastic residues also accumulate in bivalve molluscs. Researchers have now investigated in a new study in the journal “Environmental Science & Technology” which processes run. Because so far, there is insufficient data about how the cycle of plastic waste works and how fast the particles accumulate in organisms.
For their study, the scientists Maya Al Sid Cheikh, from the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom have examined, therefore, Pecten maximus. The Great scallop is one of the scallops and is popular in order for gourmets. The mollusk is up to 14 centimeters tall and lives only in the Atlantic ocean.
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In the laboratory, have kept researchers such shells in sea water aquariums and nano-plastic particles of varying size was added. After six hours of billions of tiny particles with a diameter of 250 nanometers (such as 0,00025 mm) in the gut of scallops had accumulated, measurements.
But there were still more traces of even smaller particles with a size of 20 nanometers (0,00002 mm) – the researchers found in the kidney, the gills, muscles, and other organs.
the picture shows the shell with different organs: gills (GI), kidney (K), Gnoade (GO), intestine (I), Hepatopancreas (HP) and muscle (M)
“For this Experiment, we had to develop a completely novel approach,” Al Sid Cheikh. The Team the study Director had produced the nano-particles of plastic in the laboratory. To be able to you in the shells better locate, they worked with methods from biotechnology, the Autoradiography.
For this study, this meant that The Oslobet tiny particles were first labeled with a radioactive carbon substance, then you were given into the water. By using the method, they can then be made in the shell visible.
The method works in a similar way, the developing photos in a darkroom. It is used as a light-sensitive substance, the power of the radio-active traces, for example, under a microscope or by means of a radiation detector visible.
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However, the particles from the study were very small. As a micro-plastic particles smaller than five millimeters and greater than 0.1 micrometers (100 nanometers) apply – the researchers have worked with nano-plastic. Such particles are included in cosmetic products or detergents and the wastewater in the environment. They arise directly in the waters by the gradual comminution of larger plastic pieces. The researchers also stress that their investigation was carried out under environmentally relevant conditions, like those which prevail in the sea.
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The study showed that nano-particles can be absorbed quickly by a marine organism, and that they would distribute within a few hours on most of the important organs.
The Knowledge about the origin, dissemination and consequences of plastic in the environment and in organisms, but it is still very patchy. It is also unclear whether micro-plastic leads in the human organism to health problems. Recently, researchers Microplastics were detected in human stool samples.
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by the Way, it was not enough in the study to put the shells after the Experiment, again in clean water, no plastic particles floating in it. Even after a few weeks, particles were still in the molluscan evidence. The smallest needed for up to 48 days, until they were gone.
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