Microfiber Content in Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from Morro Bay, California

Plastics are a major source of marine pollution. One form of plastic pollution is microfibers, which are synthetic fibers five micrometers or smaller that are shed by artificial clothing. The size of microfibers enables them to easily be ingested by a number of marine organisms, including oysters. Oysters are filter feeders and a major aquaculture asset, which presents a concern for the effects of microfiber ingestion on human health. Very few studies have been conducted quantifying microfibers using Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) sourced from California. This study quantifies microfiber content in the Pacific oyster farmed for human consumption in Morro Bay, California. Microfibers were quantified after being isolated from oyster samples. An average of 9.12 microfibers were recovered per oyster sample. Although some of the smaller oysters contained more microfibers compared to larger oysters, this difference was not significant. There also was no significant difference between the quantities of black and blue microfibers. However, there was a significant increase in quantities of black microfibers compared to green or red microfibers. The results of this study indicate that a large amount of microfibers are present in commercial oysters, but more research needs to be conducted to determine how this will impact human health. KEYWORDS: Marine Pollution; Microplastic; Microfiber; Trophic Transfer; Keystone Species; Aquaculture; Oyster; Human Health