A new study from Nova Scotia’s Dalhousie University found microplastics in 100 per cent of the lobsters they tested, leading researchers to suggest plastic is more prevalent than most seafood lovers may think.
On average, they found six to seven microplastic particles in a single gram of meat.
“The implications are that with every bite of seafood, you’re ingesting microplastics,” said lead researcher Amber LeBlanc of Dalhousie’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies.
Researchers bought 16 lobsters from local retailers that were caught off the coast of Nova Scotia and obtained tissue samples from the tails of the animals.
“The idea was to be like a consumer who would buy the lobster and then go home and cook it and eat it,” LeBlanc explained.
Their analysis found microplastics in the meat of all 16 animals, with samples including specks from polyester clothing fibres and polyethylene vinyl acetate (PVA).
PVA, which is commonly used in laundry detergent pods, was the “primary” plastic found inside the lobsters. LeBlanc pointed out that oftentimes, products that are marketed as “biodegradable” or “eco-friendly” may not actually be such.
“So the plastic dissolves in water. And from what we can see with our naked eye, it does,” LeBlanc said about the pods.
“But studies are finding that it does leave behind microplastics. And that is one of the primary plastics that I found inside the lobster.”
She said plastic can come from anywhere, however, including within the fishing industry itself.
“A lot of the fishing gear is made of plastic. And that’s just the way it is. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone specific. Like, that’s the state of the world. If you look around you, you’re going to find plastic,” she said.
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Why lobsters?
The study’s authors pointed out that lobsters serve as bioindicators and can shed light on environmental contamination levels, in part because of the way they ingest sediment.
“(Microplastic) contamination has been found in various anatomical regions of lobsters to date; beneath the shell, around the gills, within the hepatopancreas and digestive system,” the study stated.
“(Microplastics) can adsorb pollutants from the surrounding water, potentially amplifying contamination levels in organisms that consume them.”
The authors also wrote that while previous studies on microplastic contamination in lobsters have focused on European species, limited studies have been conducted on the American lobster — the type found off Nova Scotia — which is the predominant lobster species in the global industry.
Past studies have also examined the digestive systems of the animals, but LeBlanc said there’s a knowledge gap when it comes to microplastics in the muscle tissue of lobsters, which is the part people eat.
She said the findings — and the findings of other microplastic research — should raise warning flags that “microplastics are everywhere.”
“I honestly wasn’t that surprised to see that the meat was contaminated,” LeBlanc said.
“With the knowledge that plastic production since the 50s has really just been skyrocketing and we’re not slowing down plastic production any time soon. And knowing that plastics don’t really break down in the environment and they tend to stay there for hundreds, thousands of years, it was something that I was expecting for sure to see and we did.”
Past research has confirmed the presence of microplastics in other seafood, including mussels, clams and oysters, which suggests there’s possible transfer within the food chain.
And it’s not just in our oceans.
Fillets from fish caught along Toronto’s waterfront have up to 12 times more microplastics per serving than some common store-bought alternatives, research published last year suggested.
Those researchers looked at a total of 45 fish caught in Humber Bay, where the Humber River flows into Lake Ontario along Toronto’s waterfront.
A 2019 study from the University of Victoria found the average American adult consumes between 126 and 142 microplastic particles every day, and inhales another 132 to 170.
LeBlanc said other research is actively studying the health effects of microplastics, which have been found in human body tissue. There are concerns raised that it could lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, premature births and cancer.
“We need to look at how to improve our management of plastic waste and how we can support sustainable fishing practices,” she said about the long-term consequences.
“We’ve shown that the plastic pollution crisis isn’t removed from us. It’s not just out in the ocean, it’s also ending up on our dinner plates. So I feel like we do need a sense of urgency.”
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