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Researchers studying lobsters in four commercial fishing areas off Nova Scotia have found microplastics in the meat of each one they tested, with samples including plastic specks from polyester clothing fibres, industrial adhesives and marine-grade plastics.

The scientists from Dalhousie University examined the edible muscle tissue from the tails of 16 Homarus americanus lobster from Nova Scotia's major fishing zones that were a representative mix of sizes and sexes. Their work was published in Regional Studies in Marine Science.

In the lab, they 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 an advanced technique called Raman Spectroscopy that acts like a chemical fingerprint for each particle to identify what type of plastic it was.

On average, they found six to seven microplastic particles in a single gram of meat, with an average size of plastic being 3.65 micrometers -- about 30 times thinner than the width of a human hair.

Prof. Tony Walker and Amber LeBlanc of Dalhousie's School for Resource and Environmental Studies are available to discuss the findings and how this work provides an important baseline for the smallest microplastics in American lobster.

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca