This release includes all data collected in support of a juvenile Chinook salmon exposure study designed to understand the retention of microplastic clothing fibers (hereon refered to as "microfibers") after feeding. To understand the potential impacts of microfiber ingestion to fish, we ran a feeding experiment with juvenile Chinook salmon to determine if ingested fibers are retained and/or digestion rates altered over a full, experimentally determined, 10 day digestion period. Data includes: fish weights, microfiber counts, and quality assurance (QA) data for the experiment. QA steps are detailed in the process section of the metadata.

This collection presents experimental data and a literature meta-analysis to understand microplastic translocation to fish tissue and egestion rates. Juvenile barramundi (Lates calcifer) were exposed through their diet to polyamide (PA) fibres and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibres and fragments (8–547 μm in length) to determine if shape, size, and polymer type influence microplastic translocation and egestion rates.

The data explores various factors relating to fish tissue digestion to extract microplastics. The data contains fish physical data, microplastics recovery, and spectral correlation values. Data was generated through experimentation carried out at AIMS, Townsville in 2018,2019 and 2020. Data was analysed statistically to determine differences between treatments.

This published research assesses microplastic ingestion and retention by coral reef fish, which are important information to assess ecological risks of this emergent contaminant to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR, Australia). Fish were collected with SCUBA and nets at Lizard Island (North GBR), exposed to microplastics under laboratory conditions at Lizard Island Research Station, and processed (i.e., gastrointestinal tract chemically digested, filtered and analysed under microscope) to assess microplastic ingestion at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville (Queensland, Australia). Data was statistically analysed using general linear model in R, kinetics model, one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparisons tests.

Microplastics (MP) contamination was assessed in wild-caught organisms obtained from commercial fishers working in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Queensland, (Australia) in March 2019. MP contamination was assessed in both the edible (muscle) and inedible (GIT) tissues of four commercial seafood organisms commonly caught and consumed in Australia:Common Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus), Barramundi (Lates calcifer), Blue Legged King Prawns (Melicertus latisulcatus), and Ballots Saucer Scallop (Ylistrum balloti) Filleted barramundi muscle tissues, purchased from local seafood suppliers, were also analysed for MPs, to determine whether MP contamination is introduced through the consumer supply chain. Samples were analysed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) or microimaging ATR-FTIR (µFTIR). Physical characteristics of each confirmed synthetic particle were described in terms of shape (fibre or fragment), size and colour from the microscopic photographs. Fibres were defined as elongated particles with a relatively homogenous width throughout, and distinctly parallel sides. All other items were defined as fragments. Fibre length and width was determined, for particles, length determined, and colour for all particles recorded (white and transparent particles were grouped). MP abundance in seafood was calculated as MP g tissue-1 (w.w) or MP sample-1. Unpaired T-tests were used to explore the concentration of MPs extracted from the store-bought fillets and the wild fish. A general linear model with Gaussian distribution was used to explore differences amongst particle sizes extracted from the fillets. Length data was log transformed to improve the goodness of fit of the model. Statistical analysis was carried out using GraphPad Prism 8.4.3 or R version 4.1.1. Full analysis and descriptions at presented in Dawson et.al 2022

This dataset describes the concentration and morphology of microplastics in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Samples were collected during baseflow conditions at eight locations during the week of August 3-7, 2015. Four types of samples were collected: water surface, streambed sediment, smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and threeridge mussels (Amblema plicata). Water surface samples were collected at all eight sites; other sample types were collected at only a subset of sites.

The data investigates the effects of commonly used microplastic separation techniques using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a model microplastic. Data explores the efficiency of each technique (i.e. visual, density separation, acidic digestion and enzymatic digestion), spiked recovery of microparticles, and potential chemical and physical changes on HDPE from biologically-rich seawater samples. Data was generated through laboratory experimentation at AIMS, Townsville in 2017. Data was analysed statistically to determine difference between treatments.

Data is for three experiments. The first experiment examined calcification effects of ingested microbeads. The second experiment observed ingestion rates of four size classes of microbeads and how long they were retained. The third experiment observed and compared ingestion rates of one microbead size class and microfibers 3-5mm in length. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Hankins, C., A. Duffy, and K. Drisco. Scleractinian coral microplastic ingestion: Potential calcification effects, size limits, and retention. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 135: 587-593, (2018).

High-resolution mass spectrometry is advantageous for monitoring physiological impacts and contaminant biotransformation products in fish exposed to complex wastewater effluent. We evaluated this technique using skin mucus from male and female fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to control water or treated wastewater effluent at 5%, 20%, and 100% levels for 21 d, using an onsite, flow-through system providing real-time exposure. Both sex-specific and non-sex-specific responses were observed in the mucus metabolome, the latter suggesting the induction of general compensatory pathways for xenobiotic exposures. Altogether, 85 statistically significant treatment-dependent metabolite changes were observed and 30 of those annotated with probable structures. The mummichog software package was used to elucidate impacted biochemical pathways and enhance metabolite annotation. Partial least squares regression models revealed relationships between the mucus metabolomes and upregulated hepatic mRNA transcripts reported previously for these same fish. These regression models suggest that mucus metabolomic changes reflected, in part, processes by which the fish biotransformed xenobiotics in the effluent. Further, we detected a phase II transformation product of bisphenol A in the skin mucus of male fish. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the utility of mucus as a minimally invasive matrix for simultaneously assessing exposures and effects of real-world mixtures of contaminants. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Mosley, J., D. Ekman, J.E. Cavallin, D. Villeneuve, G. Ankley, and T. Collette. High‐resolution mass spectrometry of skin mucus for monitoring physiological impacts and contaminant biotransformation products in fathead minnows exposed to wastewater effluent. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, USA, 37(3): 788-796, (2018).

The data included in this package were conducted as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) addressing historical pollution at the designated Superfund site. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) evaluated contaminant-related effects from dietary exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations and mixture profiles in juvenile Chinook salmon using two endpoints: growth assessment and disease susceptibility. The dose and chemical proportions were determined from the stomach contents of Laboratory-reared juvenile Chinook salmon recently collected from contaminated waterways. Groups of fish were fed a mixture with fixed proportions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at five concentrations for 35 days. Data is provided in three spreadsheets in 0-data/Data/ directory and include the length , weight, otoliths, and tissue chemistry of composite samples of lab-raised juvenile Chinook salmon. The corresponding data dictionary for the headers is located in 0-data/Documentation/DataDictionary/ and describes the specific chemical, biological, instruments, etc. codes. Metadata XML files describing the sampling processing procedures are provided in the 0-data/Metadata for each respective experiment. The file 0-data/Data/readme.txt describes the data package and contents of each directory in more detail.