Evaluation of microplastic bioaccumulation capacity of mussel (Perna viridis) and surrounding environment in the North coast of Vietnam

This study aimed to identify the presence of microplastics in green mussels (Perna viridis), surface seawater, and beach sediment on the North Coast of Vietnam. The average concentration of MPs in mussels was 3.67 ± 1.20 MPs/g wet weight and 25.05 ± 5.36 MPs/individual. Regarding surface seawater and beach sediments, the MPs concentration was found at 88.00 ± 30.88 MPs/L and 4800 ± 1776 MPs/kg dry weight, respectively. The dominant microplastics shape was fragment with the fractions ranging from 69.86 to 82.41 %. In addition, the size distribution of MPs was mostly in the range of smaller than 50 μm and 1-150 μm (34.17 % and 45.62 % in mussels; 29.65 % and 43.20 % in surface seawater and 40.22 % and 39.40 % in beach sediment, respectively). Polyethylene terephthalate was the major polymer types 49.93-58.44 % of the detected MPs. The risk assessment results based on the polymer types indicated a warning level in several sites.

Risk assessment of microplastic exposure: A case study near a refinery factory at the central coast of Vietnam

The goal of this study was to identify the presence of microplastics on the beach near a refinery in the central coast of Vietnam. In this study, 11 sampling sites were selected within a length of 300 m of the beach. The results showed that microplastics were presented in all collected samples with an average concentration of 1582 ± 660 MPs/kg. Fibers were the predominant shape of microplastics found in the samples, which accounted for 57.11 %, while the rest were classified as fragments. The average size of microplastics varied greatly around 83.1 ± 74.3 μm with the vast majority having a size smaller than 50 μm (41.84 %). A total of 11 polymers of microplastics were detected from collected samples, Polyethylene Terephthalate was the main polymer with 46.43 %. The pollution load index of microplastics was 3.15 showing that refinery activities could expose microplastic to the environment.

Abundance of microplastics in cultured oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from Danang Bay of Vietnam

This study focuses on determination of quantity, shape, size and polymer types of microplastics in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) cultured in Danang Bay, Vietnam. Visual verification and chemical identification of microplastics was carried out by μFT-IR spectra using Nicolet iN10 MX Infrared Imaging Microscope. The average abundance of microplastic in oysters was 1.88 ± 1.58 particles/g (wet weight) and 18.54 ± 10.08 particles/individual. The prevalent shape of microplastics included three main forms as fragment, fiber and bead corresponding to 73.71; 25.84 and 0.45%, respectively. Additionally, the size of microplastics was a range of 22.4-1318.8 μm, and the most common size was less than 100 μm, accounted for 77.30%. Fifteen polymer types were detected while Nylon was the most abundant polymer type with 50.56%. In this study, microplastics accumulation with their abundance and polymeric structures could be considered as reliable evidence for further studies on assessment of their potential risk to human health.