Blue Mussels Cover Microplastics with Poop Making Oceans Cleaner

The solution developed by scientists includes allowing blue mussels to ingest microplastics and later excrete the microplastics wrapped in their poop.

Microplastics

Microplastics are found everywhere, from the Arctic Ocean's deep waters to Everest's snow-covered summits. It is brought on by the breakdown of the 360 million tons of plastic waste created annually and is dispersed by winds and ocean currents. Although the long-term impacts of microplastics on the life of humans and animals are not fully understood, they can be observed. Fish, birds, and zooplankton-tiny creatures that make up the foundation of the food chain in the majority of marine ecosystems-all consume it.

Plastic is still a very valuable resource, and it is estimated that plastic manufacturing might virtually treble by 2050, despite the focus on the effects of plastic pollution, according to the World Economic Forum.

Cleaning Oceans with Blue Mussels and Poop

Scientists have discovered an unanticipated ally in the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, in their battle against one of the most elusive toxins in our seas.

A recent study suggests that this hungry tiny filter-feeding mollusk may hold the key to reducing the effects of pollution. It is also resistant to the billions of microplastics that litter the oceans. Microplastics, or particles smaller than five millimeters, pose a serious threat to marine life and, perhaps, human health. They are difficult to remove because they are so small and prevalent across most marine ecosystems.

However, blue mussels are known to consume these microplastics along with their usual food, keeping them in feces that are quicker to filter out of the water, as the NOAA has described in a podcast.

No Harm But Effective

According to a World Economic Forum article, recent research has demonstrated that blue mussels can filter microplastics from their surroundings in both laboratory and natural settings. In the lab, mussels held onto the microplastics in their poop after consuming up to two-thirds of what was in their aquariums.

Furthermore, mussels examined in a neighboring harbor showed comparable efficacy in the wild, filtering as much as 240 microplastic particles daily. The lab results indicate that mussels may be able to remove even more microplastics when they are present in larger quantities in the water. That is around one and a half million particles each hour.

Worries Over Mussel Poop on the Seafloor

Although this discovery shows promise, scientists warn that it may not be possible to eliminate microplastic contamination with mussels alone. Millions of mussels would need to filter water continuously for 24 hours in order to affect the water in just one bay, according to estimates. Additionally, preserving a healthy ecology limits the number of mussels that may ever be brought to a region.

Although less dangerous for marine life, it is nevertheless possible for the microplastics found in mussel excrement to get stuck in the silt of the bottom. One significant finding from this study is that, although mussels may help lessen the effects of microplastics, the best approach to solve the problem is to remove plastic pollution at its source, Newser reports.

The new study by Cole et al was recently published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.