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<p>Sea urchins serve as valuable bioindicators of marine environmental health. Also they are an important food resource, with their gonads considered a delicacy in many countries. This study examined the abundance, composition, and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in four edible sea urchin species (<i>Stomopneustes variolaris</i>, <i>Echinothrix diadema</i>, <i>Tripneustes gratilla</i>, and <i>Salmacis bicolor</i>) collected from four ecologically distinct sea urchin beds along the southwest coast of India. Sampling was conducted over a 2-year period, including three seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon. MPs were analysed in water, sediment, and different tissues of sea urchins including the gut, coelomic fluid, and gonads from all sea urchin beds. MPs were detected in all tissues examined, with the highest concentrations observed in the gut, ranging from 0.17 ± 0.05 to 15.40 ± 2.7 items/g, representing the overall minimum and maximum values. Notably, the presence of MPs in the gonads of all species raises significant concerns regarding food safety. SEM–EDAX analysis revealed that MPs isolated from water and sediment carried trace metals such as Fe, Cu, Ti, Ba, As, Sr, Sb, and Al. MPs from sea urchins contained As, Fe, Cu, and Al, indicating potential metal adsorption and possible trophic transfer. The sea urchin species <i>Stomopneustes variolaris</i> and <i>Tripneustes gratilla</i> exhibited the highest Microplastic Pollution Index (MPI) values, reflecting greater bioavailability of MPs in species with contrasting feeding strategies and habitat preferences. This study provides the first multi-species, multi-tissue assessment of MPs in edible sea urchins from the region.</p>

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Detection of Microplastics in the Gonads and Coelomic Fluid of Edible Sea Urchin Species and Its Hazard Assessment from Four Different Sea Urchin Beds

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月23日

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  • Aneena Yesudas,
  • Dileep Vidyalakshmi,
  • Athirpankandi Sreerag,
  • Aleena Roy,
  • Prabhakaran Priyaja

摘要

Sea urchins serve as valuable bioindicators of marine environmental health. Also they are an important food resource, with their gonads considered a delicacy in many countries. This study examined the abundance, composition, and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in four edible sea urchin species (Stomopneustes variolaris, Echinothrix diadema, Tripneustes gratilla, and Salmacis bicolor) collected from four ecologically distinct sea urchin beds along the southwest coast of India. Sampling was conducted over a 2-year period, including three seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon. MPs were analysed in water, sediment, and different tissues of sea urchins including the gut, coelomic fluid, and gonads from all sea urchin beds. MPs were detected in all tissues examined, with the highest concentrations observed in the gut, ranging from 0.17 ± 0.05 to 15.40 ± 2.7 items/g, representing the overall minimum and maximum values. Notably, the presence of MPs in the gonads of all species raises significant concerns regarding food safety. SEM–EDAX analysis revealed that MPs isolated from water and sediment carried trace metals such as Fe, Cu, Ti, Ba, As, Sr, Sb, and Al. MPs from sea urchins contained As, Fe, Cu, and Al, indicating potential metal adsorption and possible trophic transfer. The sea urchin species Stomopneustes variolaris and Tripneustes gratilla exhibited the highest Microplastic Pollution Index (MPI) values, reflecting greater bioavailability of MPs in species with contrasting feeding strategies and habitat preferences. This study provides the first multi-species, multi-tissue assessment of MPs in edible sea urchins from the region.