DOI: 10.14466/cefasdatahub.174
title: Microplastic contamination data from mussels from the UK in 2022

description: This dataset records microplastic (MP) contamination in mussels from the UK (7 stations around England and Wales) collected in November 2022. Data includes MP load per mussel, recorded per individual and per gram of tissue wet weight. The dataset is split between six files: fluorescent items only (results per individual, results per gram, and a file describing each item collected e.g. clear filament, 100 microns long, polyethylene) and all items including non-fluorescent items (per individual, per gram, item description). Microlitter (ML) includes non-plastic items such as rubber and cellulose-based fibres. Mass was recorded as wet weight. Also included are text files for long format data used in analysis in R Studio.

CleanAtlantic is an Interreg-funded initiative (2017 - 2023) with consortium partners from across Europe, including the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal. The initiative aimed to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Atlantic Area by improving capabilities to monitor, prevent and remove marine litter. The data here originated from work package: Mapping and modelling of marine litter, action 3: Indicators for ingestion and entanglement. CleanAtlantic was coordinated by CETMAR (Centro Tecnológico del Mar) and included 14 core partners and 4 associated partners. Cefas played a significant role, contributing to multiple work packages and research outputs. This data was collected for CleanAtlantic to determine whether mussels were a suitable sentinel species for microplastics in the North Atlantic. Fluorescent data was compared to mussels from France and Spain. CleanAtlantic – CleanAtlantic project

Mussels were collected as part of the Food Standards Agency's assessment of harmful algal blooms. Excess mussels were reserved for microplastic analysis. The mussel tissue was rinsed to remove external microplastic contamination and then digested in potassium hydroxide (15% KOH) and sodium hypochlorite (2% chlorine), sonicated for 5 minutes and then incubated in a shaker at 40 °C 120 revolutions per minutes for three days. Following this, 40 millilitres of degreaser (Elbow Grease) was added and incubated for a further day. Microplastics are extracted by filtering the solution over a GF/D (glass fibre) filter. Nile red dye was added and left for 30 minutes to stain the plastics so that they fluoresce. Under a binocular microscope microplastics were counted and categorised by shape, size and colour. Plastic polymers were identified using micro FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) comparing to polymer libraries (Attenuated Total Reflectance [ATR]-FTIR-library complete, volume 1-4; Bruker Optics ATR-Polymer Library; Infrared [IR]-Spectra of Polymers, Diamond -ATR, Geranium-AT & IR-Spectra of Additives, Diamond-ATR). Only matches above 60% were accepted. For quality control purposes, plastic standards were tested with the FTIR at the start of each analysis. Data was quality checked internally prior to publication. Lab procedural blanks were used to account for potential contamination during analysis.

Linked below is data on macrofauna abundance on macrolitter samples, also collected as part of CleanAtlantic. Macrofauna abundance matrix for each taxa identified from litter samples, sorted by station. This is a combination of litter samples from the CEND 18/20 and CEND 06/21 CSEMP (Clean Safe Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme) surveys. The litter items are labelled with the station code and unique litter item and arranged in columns. The taxa names are listed in the rows. Corresponding abundance data for each taxa found on the litter item at that station is listed throughout the matrix.