Seafood aficionados have received unsettling news: the presence of hazardous microplastics has been detected in the flesh of the American lobster for the first time.

Researchers at Dalhousie University conducted an analysis on the meat of 16 lobsters, both male and female, sourced from key fishing areas along Canada’s eastern coastline.

Their investigation revealed that every lobster contained these minuscule, harmful particles. These findings are particularly concerning as lobsters are a highly sought-after delicacy and are shipped globally.

While microplastics had previously been identified in the larvae of American lobsters five years ago, this marks the initial discovery of such pollutants within adult lobster flesh.

Experts emphasize the critical necessity for ongoing research and vigilant monitoring of lobsters to assess their microplastic ingestion at these locations.

“The detection of microplastics in the muscle tissue of lobsters raises potential concerns for the health of the lobsters themselves, as well as for seafood consumers and various industry stakeholders,” they caution.

‘[We need] to fully comprehend the transport and fate of microplastics within marine organisms, the environment and on human health.’ 

Microplastics – plastic fragments less than 5 mm in diameter, invisible to the naked eye – have been linked with toxic impacts on the body, such as cancer. 

Scientists have found microplastic contamination in the muscle tissue of edible American lobster (Homarus americanus, pictured)

Graphical abstract from the study: Interestingly, the smaller the lobster tail the higher the concentration of microplastics

In the lab, the researchers examined edible muscle tissue from the tails of 16 American lobsters (Homarus americanus). 

The creatures, representing both sexes and a mix of sizes, were caught in four major commercial fishing zones off of Nova Scotia, the eastern Canadian province.

Around 60 per cent of Nova Scotia’s lobster is exported to buyers in the US, although other important markets include Asia and Europe. 

The team used a special dye that makes microplastics glow under a microscope, allowing them to see tiny specks of plastic light up like ‘small stars’. 

They also used a technique called ‘raman spectroscopy’ that acts like a chemical fingerprint for each particle to identify each type of plastic embedded in flesh.

Worryingly, all the lobsters examined contained ‘internalized microplastics’ in their tail muscle tissues, ‘possibly originating from the digestive tract’.

On average, the team found six to seven microplastic particles in a single gram of meat (one gram is equivalent to about three pea-sized blobs).

They found the average size of plastic particles was 3.65 micrometres or 0.003 of a millimetre – about 30 times thinner than the width of a human hair. 

The researchers analysed the flesh of lobsters caught in four commercial fishing areas off of Nova Scotia, the eastern Canadian province. Interestingly, there were significantly higher microplastic concentrations in lobsters from the south-west area (‘site 1’)

Interestingly, there were significantly higher microplastic concentrations in lobsters from the south-west zone (‘site 1’), although it’s unclear why. 

In this area, lobsters tended to have shorter tails, but did not have a significantly smaller total weight relative to other lobsters.

Smaller tails may be to due to microplastic ingestion causing reduced feeding and metabolic rates. 

The scientists then identified the various plastic specks as polyester clothing fibres, industrial adhesives and marine-grade plastics. 

The most abundant polymer identified was polyethylene vinyl acetate, found in everything from footwear to surfboards and shower curtains. 

Also abundant were polyester (used to manufacture clothing, home furnishings, carpeting) and polysulfone (used for electrical equipment, in vehicle construction and medical technology). 

Already, ingested microplastics have been shown to reduce feeding efficiency and increase mortality rates in various crustaceans, but microplastics will inevitably end up in the human body as we are at the top of the food chain. 

The human health risks of ingesting microplastics and other human-made particles are understudied, but have been linked to cancer, DNA damage and cellular damage. 

This image reveals the percentage of different-sized microplastics in micrometres (μm) from lobsters collected at four different sites in Nova Scotia waters 

‘Microplastics have been detected in human body tissues, including blood, placenta and brains,’ the team conclude. 

‘Their presence in humans has raised concerns regarding potential health effects, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infertility, premature births, and various types of cancers.’ 

The study, published in the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science, is just the latest to find microplastics in the food we eat. 

Earlier this year another team of scientists reported the discovery of microplastics in six popular seafood options – salmon, lingcod, black rockfish, pink shrimp, Pacific herring and Pacific lamprey. 

Scientists warned at the time that the foreign fragments travel ‘from the ocean to our kitchen table’ before being consumed by humans in restaurants and homes. 

Microplastics are ubiquitous, having already been found in bottled water, salt, milk, sugar, beer, honey, beef, chicken, veggie burgers and tofu.