The findings are the first to detect dangerous levels of microplastics in the tails of lobsters caught off the coast of Nova Scotia. This surprise discovery creates serious considerations about the immediate human health impacts from eating seafood laced with plastic contaminated particles. The study serves as an important barometer for ocean pollution. It exposes the pervasive reality of microplastics in the aquatic environment and their threat to human health.
Microplastics, which are plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, can come from different sources. These end markets include industrial coatings, plastic products that have broken down in nature, and consumer waste. According to the study, not one lobster sampled did not contain microplastic particles. On average there were six to seven particles per gram of meat.
The research team used an equally cutting-edge technique known as Raman Spectroscopy. This approach allowed them to pinpoint the chemical signatures of the microplastics found in the lobsters. This approach allowed them to calculate that the average dimension of each microplastic particle is approximately 3.65 micrometers. That’s about 30 times more thin than a human hair!
The analysis found that polyethylene vinyl acetate and polyester both made up 25 percent of the identified microplastics. At the same time, polysulfone made up 19 percent of the whole. These results highlight the wide variety of polymers making up the persistent and continuing problem of plastic pollution in marine environments.
To conduct the study, researchers recruited representative lobsters from store counters around Nova Scotia. Collectively they represented all commercial fishing sectors, sizes, and female/male respectively. Nova Scotia is the linchpin of Canada’s lobster industry. In Eastern Canada, it represents close to 50 percent of the overall catch. In 2023, commercial fishers in the region harvested over $821 million of lobsters. It meant that lobster-fishing had officially become the most profitable element of Nova Scotia’s $1.3 billion seafood industry.
The researchers relied on a special fluorescent dye, Nile red, to render microplastics visible beneath the microscope. This novel method revealed these particles within consumable lobster meat. It raised urgent questions about their long-term impact on human health.
“Given the widespread global consumption of lobster by humans, it becomes imperative to understand the extent of contamination in lobster muscle tissue to evaluate potential human health risks,” – The study.
The effects of microplastics on human health remain largely unknown, with thousands of different chemical compositions posing significant challenges for researchers. And other previous studies have already established the presence of microplastics in other types of seafood like mussels, clams and oysters.
“On July 14th, The New American reported on the costs of plastic pollution and disasters,” said Robert Sturm. It’s only recently that it has begun to penetrate our diets as well.
“We’re producing more and more and more of it without actually understanding what it is exactly,” – LeBlanc.
At the end of the research, the authors called for more research to better understand the impact of microplastic ingestion on human health.
“It’s not just that the plastic pollution crisis is outside and… removed from us,” – LeBlanc.
LeBlanc highlighted a critical aspect of this issue:
“It seems like it’s moving from the ocean floor to our dinner plates. That adds a whole new layer of urgency,” – LeBlanc.
The study concluded that further investigation is necessary to fully comprehend the consequences of microplastic consumption on human health.
“We need further research to really understand the consequences of this,” – LeBlanc.
