MICROPLASTIC ACCUMULATION IN TWO INVASIVE MUSSEL SPECIES FROM CHEPINTSI SAND-PIT LAKE, BULGARIA
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Date
2025-11-29
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Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski"
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the quantity and diversity of microplastics (MPs) accumulated in two invasive freshwater mussels: the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea Müller, 1774) and the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771). Artificial lakes near large urban areas often support multiple human activities and are exposed to considerable anthropogenic pollution. For this reason, mussel samples were collected from the Chepintsi sand-pit lake near Sofia, Bulgaria. Sampling was conducted in the spring using a hand dredge (front edge, 17.5 cm; total length, 190 cm). The analysis detected microplastic particles - mainly fibers and fragments of different colors and sizes - in almost all specimens. Fragments were the most common type, and colorless particles were the dominant color category.
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Keywords
freshwater mussels, microplastics