Quantifying Microplastics and Anthropogenic Particles in Marine and Aquatic Environments

Microplastics and anthropogenic particles are ubiquitous in the environment. The presence of these contaminants can pose challenges to ecosystems and the creatures that live there. A recent study published in Frontiers in Toxicology explored this topic, focusing specifically on marine and aquatic environments (1). This study was conducted by Elise Granek, Susanne Brander, Summer Traylor, and Marilyn Duncan. Recently, three of the authors sat down with Spectroscopy to discuss their research.

The team quantified anthropogenic particles (APs) in the edible tissues of black rockfish, lingcod, Chinook salmon, Pacific herring, Pacific lamprey, and pink shrimp, comparing contamination across trophic levels and between vessel-retrieved and retail-purchased samples.

The lead investigator of the overarching project, Elise Granek, is a Professor at Portland State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Zoology/Marine Ecology from Oregon State University and her MESc in Forest Ecology from Yale University (2). She runs the Applied Coastal Ecology Lab, and her research group examines the effects of emerging contaminants on marine ecosystems and species (2). Granek also serves on the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee to Oregon's Ocean Policy Advisory Committee, on the Steering Committee for Oregon’s Coastal and Ocean Information Network, as an Associate Editor of Limnology and Oceanography Letters, as a member of the Pacific Northwest Consortium on Plastics, and teaches courses on coastal ecology, environmental contaminants, and science communication (2).

Susanne Brander is an Associate Professor at Oregon State University. She earned her MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and her Ph.D. in Toxicology from University of California, Davis (3). Her group integrates the responses of organisms to micro and nanoplastics, microfibers, and other environmental stressors across the biological hierarchy (3). She co-leads the Pacific Northwest Consortium on Plastics, serves on microplastics working groups for the State of California, and is currently a member of the steering committee for the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, which is under ongoing negotiations at the United Nations Environment Programme.

Summer Traylor serves as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps Officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, an oceanographic research vessel. NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter conducts marine mammal surveys and collects plankton and microplastic abundance data. Traylor earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science from University of California, Santa Cruz and her Masters of Environmental Science and Management from Portland State University.

In this interview, Granek, Brander, and Traylor address the following questions:

• Can you talk about how microplastics (MPs) and anthropogenic particles (APs) affect marine and aquatic environments?
• How do the findings of AP contamination in black rockfish, lingcod, Chinook salmon, Pacific herring, Pacific lamprey, and pink shrimp reflect broader trends in microfiber pollution in marine and aquatic environments?
• Could you elaborate on the sample digestion and microscopic analysis methods used for quantifying APs in edible tissue? What were the advantages and challenges of incorporating μFT-IR spectroscopy for particle identification?
• The study highlights differences in AP burdens across trophic levels and between vessel-retrieved and retail-purchased specimens. What insights do these comparisons provide about contamination pathways and potential sources of pollution in marine and aquatic organisms?
• What concerns arise regarding the potential health impacts of consuming seafood with microplastic contamination?
• The study emphasizes the need for further research into technologies and strategies to reduce microfiber pollution. What specific technological advancements or policy measures would you prioritize to mitigate this issue?
• Based on your findings, what are the most critical areas for future research to better understand the sources, distribution, and impacts of MPs and APs in marine food webs and human consumption?

References

1. Traylor, S. D.; Granek, E. F.; Duncan, M.; Brander, S. M. From the Ocean to our Kitchen Table: Anthropogenic Particles in the Edible Tissue of U.S. West Coast Seafood Species. Front. Toxicol. 2024, 6, 1469995. DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1469995
2. Portland State University, Elise Granek. PDX.edu. Available at: https://www.pdx.edu/environmental-science/profile/elise-granek (accessed 2025-01-27).
3. Oregon State University, Susanne Brander. Oregon State University website. Available at: https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/users/susanne-brander (accessed 2025-01-27).