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Sponges as bioindicators for microparticulate pollutants?
Elsa B Girard1, Adrian Fuchs2, Melanie Kaliwoda3
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333, Munich, Germany.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|October 30, 2020
Summary
Marine sponges can act as bioindicators for microplastic pollution. These filter-feeding animals accumulate microparticulate pollutants, including plastics, in their tissues, offering a new method for monitoring ocean contamination.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Oceans face increasing man-made pollution, notably microparticulate pollutants.
- Sponges, as filter-feeding aquatic animals, can ingest fine foreign particles.
- This capability suggests sponges may serve as valuable bioindicators for microparticulate pollution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of coral reef demosponges as bioindicators for microparticulate pollutants.
- To analyze the types and concentrations of foreign particles accumulated by sponges.
Main Methods:
- Collection of 15 demosponges from Bangka Island, Indonesia.
- Analysis using traditional histology, advanced light microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.
- Confirmation of particle embedding in ectosome and spongin fibers via two-photon microscopy.
Main Results:
- Sponges incorporated fine sediment (<200 μm) and 34 particle types, including polystyrene, cotton, titanium dioxide, and pigmented particles.
- Eight specimens contained degraded man-made products at concentrations of 91–612 particles/g dry weight.
- Extrapolation suggests sponges can accumulate an average of 10,000 microparticulate pollutants.
Conclusions:
- Sponges effectively accumulate microparticulate pollutants, including microplastics and industrial degradation products.
- The uptake mechanism appears material-independent, influenced by surrounding microparticle distribution.
- Particle-bearing sponges show strong potential for biomonitoring microparticulate pollution in marine environments.
