Microplastics Found In Oysters And Clams On Oregon Coast

Tiny threads of plastics are showing up in Pacific oysters and razor clams along the Oregon coast... Britta Baechler, a Ph.D. student in PSU’s Earth, Environment and Society program, and Elise Granek, a professor of environmental science and management, looked at what variables predict microplastic concentrations in Pacific oysters and razor clams — organisms that have commercial, recreational and cultural importance in Oregon. On average, the researchers found 11 microplastic pieces per oyster and nine per clam in the samples, and nearly all were microfibers, which can come from clothing made from synthetic or natural materials as well as derelict fishing gear. “These microfilaments can be shed from clothing, up to 700,000 per load of laundry,” Baechler said. “Those particles then travel out through greywater into wastewater and to the coast.” Microplastics were found in both Pacific oysters and razor clams collected from all 15 sample sites along the Oregon coast during spring and summer 2017. Microplastics were found in all but two of the roughly 300 organisms sampled.