Do Functional Traits Influence Microplastics Bioaccumulation In Marine And Estuarine Crabs?

D.M. TRUCHET; N.S. BUZZI; G. MOULATLET; M. CAPPARELLI

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 15th Biennial Meeting; 2023

Despite the growing discharge of plastic into the environment, few articles deal with the macroecological implications of microplastic (MP) bioaccumulation in organisms. In a novel approach, we propose the use of a meta-analysis, employing a database of MP accumulation in true crabs and pseudocrabs worldwide to determine if: I) functional traits influence the bioaccumulation of MPs in the different tissues of crabs; II) there are geographic regions where crabs accumulate more MPs than others; III) there is a tissue that can accumulate more MPs; IV) there is a possible ability to accumulate or sort particles according to size, color, shape, and type. We obtained twenty-eight articles from 2015 to 2022, with 50 organisms studied, corresponding to 15 families. Our results showed that functional traits might influence the accumulation of MPs. Among these traits, non-human-consumed crabs accumulated significantly more MPs than human-consumed ones; smaller crabs in size and weight and with shorter lifespans tended to exhibit more plastic particles. According to the environment, estuarine crabs from intertidal and muddy substrates held more MPs. Also, burrowers exhibited significantly more particles in the tissues and omnivorous crabs. Likewise, we found that crabs from parallels 0 to 20 presented more plastic particles, probably because of the mangroves´ location that acts as traps for MPs. Considering the tissues, gills tended to accumulate more than the digestive tract, but without significant differences. Finally, colorless fibers of 1-5 mm of PA, PP, and PET were the predominant characteristics of MPs, probably indicating that crabs do not sort plastic according to color and accumulate denser types. Our analysis indicates that functional traits and latitude might influence the accumulation of MPs. As a result, it is essential to articulate the current bottom-up approach of ecotoxicology merged with a top-down macroecological approach that focuses on the ecological effects of MPs at large spatial scales and explores ecological systems as integral entities. This information can identify the most affected areas and define priorities for monitoring and implementing actions toward reducing plastic use globally.