Meeting Abstract
44.9 Jan. 6 The Transfer of PCBs into Holothurians via Plastic Particles GRAHAM, E.R.; Saint Joseph’s University eg259365@sju.edu
Plastic bottles, bags, and other products discarded in the ocean are weathered and degraded, causing tiny fragments to break off. Surveys have confirmed that tiny plastic fragments are common pollutants on the ocean surface, on beaches, and in the benthos. In addition to plastic particles, plastic pellets used in manufacturing also pollute the marine environment. Organisms mistake plastic fragments and pellets for food, and the effects of plastic ingestion are unknown for most marine species, especially marine invertebrates. Recent studies have concluded that plastic in an aqueous medium may adsorb and accumulate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in levels higher than ambient seawater; therefore, ingesting plastic particles may increase PCBs in susceptible organisms. I have been working on an investigation to determine if plastic pollution in the form of tiny particles and pellets exposes deposit-feeding holothurians to additional PCBs. I have concluded that 0.25mm-4.0mm plastic particles are present in subtidal sediment where holothurians reside, and deposit-feeding holothurians will ingest those plastic particles. After a series of feeding trials using Thyonella gemmata, Holothuria floridana, Holothuria grisea, and Cucumaria frondosa, I quantified and characterized the amount of plastic particles ingested per species, and compared the ingestion of plastic to that of sand. In separate trials, I allowed Holothuria floridana and Holothuria grisea to feed on Aroclor-contaminated polyvinyl chloride particles over two weeks, and I calculated the concentration of PCBs transferred from the plastic into the organisms, and from the plastic into the ambient water and sand. The final experiment in this investigation will measure the concentration of PCBs in plastic particles extracted from subtidal sediment, thereby confirming that plastic particles in the benthos could contribute to PCB uptake if ingested.
