Influence of urbanization and environmental factors on Microplastic contamination in filter-feeding bivalve from Todos os Santos Bay

• Grant number: 24/07084-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date until: November 01, 2024
• End date until: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Ítalo Braga de Castro
• Grantee: Thaiza Maria Avelino Soares
• Host Institution: Instituto do Mar (IMar). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Widely used currently, plastic is the predominant material in marine litter, causing significant environmental impacts due to slow degradation, absorption and leaching of molecules in coastal and marine environments. Microplastics (MPs- 1µm-5mm) are present in all environmental matrices (air, water, soil, sediments and organisms), formed mainly by the fragmentation of larger items. Filter-feeding organisms are good models to assess environmental contamination by MPs due to their lifestyle. In the case of bivalve molluscs, they are sessile and retain particles in their tissues, reflecting environmental conditions. The concentration of MPs in bivalves is influenced by urbanization levels and environmental factors such as distance to rivers and local hydrodynamics. More than 100 worldwide studies have used bivalves as sentinels for MPs, with record levels in Brazil. Despite this, several densely urbanized coastal regions, such as Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS) have not yet been assessed for this type of impact. Home to ~3.6 million people and a thriving port complex, the BTS coast is made up of rocky shores, mangroves, coral reefs and sandy beaches. Therefore, the present project aims to analyze contamination by MPs in bivalves along the BTS, evaluating the influence of human modification indices and coastal hydrodynamics. A total of 270 individuals (160 oysters, 70 mussels and 40 cockles) were collected between March and April 2024 on 11 sandy beaches and 5 mangroves. MPs will be quantified with measured physical characteristics (polymer, size, shape and color). Similar levels of MPs are expected across species, related to human modification. The eventual granting of the requested scholarship will contribute to training a student at postgraduate level, as well as generating academic products such as scientific articles to be published in a journal with a high impact factor and selective editorial policy.