The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers

In the process of mussel farming, the rope for attachment is indispensable, as it provides a stable attachment environment for mussel seedlings, directly affecting their survival rate and growth quality. The objective of this study is to examine the contamination of ropes, composed of polyethylene f...

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Main Authors: Wei Ma, Xuelian Wei, Fenglian Zeng, Ming Li, Ping Wang, Yingying Ye, Jiji Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Toxics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/11/768
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author Wei Ma
Xuelian Wei
Fenglian Zeng
Ming Li
Ping Wang
Yingying Ye
Jiji Li
author_facet Wei Ma
Xuelian Wei
Fenglian Zeng
Ming Li
Ping Wang
Yingying Ye
Jiji Li
author_sort Wei Ma
collection DOAJ
description In the process of mussel farming, the rope for attachment is indispensable, as it provides a stable attachment environment for mussel seedlings, directly affecting their survival rate and growth quality. The objective of this study is to examine the contamination of ropes, composed of polyethylene fibers, by heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) after three years of deployment and to assess its influence on the attachment and locomotion behaviors of juvenile mussels. Utilizing a laboratory simulation of the seedling wrapping process, a comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the number of juvenile mussels attached and their movement distances when exposed to contaminated old ropes versus uncontaminated new ropes. The findings indicated that the old ropes markedly diminished the attachment rate of juvenile mussels and heightened their movement distances. In particular, juvenile mussels utilizing old ropes exhibited a final attachment rate of 15.0% and an average movement distance of 0.86 cm, whereas those using new ropes achieved a final attachment rate of 96.7% with an average movement distance of 0.26 cm. Further inspection found that heavy metals and PAHs were present in the old rope, among which the concentrations of Zn (17.127 μg/g) and Pb (22.905 μg/g) in heavy metals were high, and the concentrations of Phe (5.53 μg/kg), Fla (6.35 μg/kg), and Pyr (5.17 μg/kg) in PAHs exceeded the detection limits, which were the main source of pollution. This research underscores the potential risk that heavy metal and PAHs contamination pose to the health of juvenile mussels and the profitability of aquaculture, emphasizing the critical need for the regular replacement of clean ropes.
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spelling doaj-art-1323f6de25d64fdbb6f36d0808f21c502025-08-20T01:54:08ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042024-10-01121176810.3390/toxics12110768The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene FibersWei Ma0Xuelian Wei1Fenglian Zeng2Ming Li3Ping Wang4Yingying Ye5Jiji Li6Huaihe Basin Eco-Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Huaihe Basin Ecology and Environment Administration, MEE, Bengbu 233001, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, ChinaHuaihe Basin Eco-Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Huaihe Basin Ecology and Environment Administration, MEE, Bengbu 233001, ChinaHuaihe Basin Eco-Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Huaihe Basin Ecology and Environment Administration, MEE, Bengbu 233001, ChinaHuaihe Basin Eco-Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Huaihe Basin Ecology and Environment Administration, MEE, Bengbu 233001, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, ChinaIn the process of mussel farming, the rope for attachment is indispensable, as it provides a stable attachment environment for mussel seedlings, directly affecting their survival rate and growth quality. The objective of this study is to examine the contamination of ropes, composed of polyethylene fibers, by heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) after three years of deployment and to assess its influence on the attachment and locomotion behaviors of juvenile mussels. Utilizing a laboratory simulation of the seedling wrapping process, a comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the number of juvenile mussels attached and their movement distances when exposed to contaminated old ropes versus uncontaminated new ropes. The findings indicated that the old ropes markedly diminished the attachment rate of juvenile mussels and heightened their movement distances. In particular, juvenile mussels utilizing old ropes exhibited a final attachment rate of 15.0% and an average movement distance of 0.86 cm, whereas those using new ropes achieved a final attachment rate of 96.7% with an average movement distance of 0.26 cm. Further inspection found that heavy metals and PAHs were present in the old rope, among which the concentrations of Zn (17.127 μg/g) and Pb (22.905 μg/g) in heavy metals were high, and the concentrations of Phe (5.53 μg/kg), Fla (6.35 μg/kg), and Pyr (5.17 μg/kg) in PAHs exceeded the detection limits, which were the main source of pollution. This research underscores the potential risk that heavy metal and PAHs contamination pose to the health of juvenile mussels and the profitability of aquaculture, emphasizing the critical need for the regular replacement of clean ropes.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/11/768juvenile musselsropes for attachmentpolyethylene fibersattachment behaviorheavy metalsPAHs
spellingShingle Wei Ma
Xuelian Wei
Fenglian Zeng
Ming Li
Ping Wang
Yingying Ye
Jiji Li
The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers
Toxics
juvenile mussels
ropes for attachment
polyethylene fibers
attachment behavior
heavy metals
PAHs
title The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers
title_full The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers
title_fullStr The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers
title_full_unstemmed The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers
title_short The Attachment of Juvenile Mussels via Byssus Weakened by Contaminated Polyethylene Fibers
title_sort attachment of juvenile mussels via byssus weakened by contaminated polyethylene fibers
topic juvenile mussels
ropes for attachment
polyethylene fibers
attachment behavior
heavy metals
PAHs
url https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/11/768
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