Study of Microplastics and Inorganic Contaminants in Mussels from the Montenegrin Coast, Adriatic Sea

Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected at three locations in Boka Kotorska Bay, on theMontenegrin Adriatic coast, were analyzed for the first time by optical and Raman microscopy todetect microplastics (MPs) and other emerging contaminants in their soft tissues. Concentrations ofsix trace metals (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cd, and Hg) were also measured in the same samples by atomicabsorption spectroscopy. Mussels from a location near the urban area of Kotor were found to exhibitthe highest content of MPs and other pollutants originating from anthropogenic sources, whilefarmed mussels showed higher carotenoid as well as nylon content. The hypothesis of MPs acting asa possible secondary route of trace metals ingress in mussels, a thus far scarcely studied topic, wasevaluated based on a comparative analysis of the obtained results. In this context, it was noticed thatnylon filaments originating from mussel farming equipment might contribute to higher trace metalcontent. The results showed that the simultaneous analysis of different contaminants in mussels canbe a significant step forward in marine environment pollution monitoring and the assessment ofhuman health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated seafood.