Microplastic atmospheric pollution in an urban Southern Brazil region: What can spider webs tell us?

The World Health Organization categorizes air pollution as the presence of one or more contaminants in the atmosphere such as smoke, dust, and particulate matter like microplastics, which are considered a priority pollutant. However, only a few studies have been developed on atmospheric pollution, and knowledge about MPs in the atmosphere is still limited. Spider webs have been tested and used as a passive sampling approach to study anthropogenic pollution.

Microplastic contamination in different shell length in Tivela mactroides (Born, 1778).

Microplastic identification and distribution throughout oceans has become a great concern due to its substantial uprising and its consequent interactions with marine biota. Microplastics can be absorbed and adsorbed by several marine species owing to their very small size. Among these organisms are bivalves, including ones used as food for humans.

First record of microplastic in the Brazilian sea hare Aplysia brasiliana Rang, 1828 (Mollusca: Aplysiidae).

The presence of plastic debris in the marine environment has reached massive levels in the past decades. In marine environments, microplastics can exist for hundreds of years and the presence of microplastics in this environment has been reported since 1970 and since then has been considered ubiquitous. Mollusks are being used as microplastic pollution indicators, especially in coastal areas and bivalves are more often used in microplastic-monitoring studies.

Abundance of microplastic in different coastal areas using Phragmatopoma caudata (Kroyer in Morch, 1863) (Polychaeta: Sabelariidae) as an indicator.

Plastic debris has been reported in the marine environment since the '70s. These plastic materials are introduced into the marine environment in several sizes, one of them microplastics (MP), and they have drawn great interest and concern in the past decades. Consumption of MP can cause weight loss, feeding rate decrease, reproductive activity decrease, and several other negative effects.

Abundance, composition, and distribution of microplastics in intertidal sediment and soft tissues of four species of Bivalvia from Southeast Brazilian urban beaches.

In coastal areas, microplastics (MPs) can deposit in sediment, allowing it to be ingested by benthic organisms, like mussels, thus creating a possible transfer to humans. The aim of this study is to evaluate MPs pollution in sediment as a function of shoreline elevation in two urbanized beaches and to evaluate the abundance/frequency of MPs in 4 different species of bivalves commonly used in the human diet, such as the oyster Crassostrea brasiliana, the mussels Mytella strigata and Perna perna and the clam Tivela mactroides, and identify the polymers via μ-FTIR technique. A total of 3337 MPs were found in this study, of which 1488 were found in the sediment at the five sites analyzed, and 1849 in the bivalve tissues at the two sampling sites.

Spatial distribution of microplastics in the superficial sediment of a mangrove in Southeast Brazil: A comparison between fringe and basin.

The presence of microplastics (MPs) has been observed globally in every marine environment, including mangroves. However, the distribution of MPs in mangroves comparing fringe and basin forests and their ecological consequences need be better investigated. The objectives of this study were to verify the presence, distribution and types of MPs in a mangrove area in southeast Brazil.

Quantitative evaluation of microplastics in colonies of Phragmatopoma caudata Krøyer in Mörch, 1863 (Polychaeta-Sabellariidae): Analysis in sandcastles and tissues and identification via Raman spectroscopy.

The detection of microplastics in all world oceans, including the most remote, has become a major concern as this will substantially increase the possibility of interactions between these particles and the marine biota. Due to their small size, microplastics can be ingested by many marine species including invertebrates, causing physical damage. This study was the first evaluation of the occurrence and abundance of microplastics in three sample types related to the species Phragmatopoma caudata, (i.

A temporal and spatial monitoring of organotin pollution in a harborside region of Brazil by imposex and ecological quality ratio using Leucozonia nassa.

This study represents the first use of Leucozonia nassa (Mollusca-Gastropoda) in a program of long-term monitoring. Specimens of L. nassa were collected between 2006 and 2014 and analyzed for the occurrence of imposex in two areas in Southeastern Brazil, one control area and another characterized by the presence of many ports and marinas.

Organotins: a review of their reproductive toxicity, biochemistry, and environmental fate.

The review purposes are to (1) evaluate the experimental evidence for adverse effects on reproduction and metabolism and (2) identify the current knowledge of analytical procedures, biochemistry and environmental aspects relating to organotins. Organotins are pollutants that are used as biocides in antifouling paints. They produce endocrine-disrupting effects in mollusks, such as imposex.