New N.S. study finds microplastics in edible portions of lobster tails

Frances Willick · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 1:03 PM EST | Last Updated: November 6

A caller survey retired of Dalhousie University has recovered microplastics successful the nutrient of lobsters caught disconnected the seashore of Nova Scotia.

The researchers from Dalhousie's School for Resource and Environmental Studies collected 16 lobsters from 4 antithetic areas of the state successful 2022.

They past tested the edible portions of the tails utilizing a peculiar dye that makes microplastics glow erstwhile placed nether a microscope.

Each of the 16 lobsters that were analyzed was recovered to incorporate assorted forms of microplastics, averaging six to 7 microplastic particles per gram of meat.

Amber LeBlanc is the pb writer of the study, which was published successful the diary Regional Studies successful Marine Science past week.

“I wasn't excessively amazed to larn that determination were microplastics present,” said LeBlanc, who was a master's pupil astatine Dal astatine the clip the survey was conducted.

“I deliberation the size of them, though, was precise surprising.… Like, they're so, truthful small. And past conscionable the information that they look to perchance beryllium coming from truthful galore antithetic sources.”

The mean size of the plastics was 3.65 micrometres — astir 30 times smaller than the diameter of a quality hair.

The microplastics recovered successful the lobster nutrient glowed erstwhile observed nether a microscope. (Submitted by Amber LeBlanc)

The researchers were capable to analyse the particles to find what types of integrative were present, and recovered that the bulk were polyethylene vinyl acetate, commonly recovered successful packaging, laundry detergent pods, coating and sealants, arsenic good arsenic successful parts for vehicles and boats; polyester perchance from covering fibres; and polysulfone, an industrial-grade integrative that has galore applications, including resins painted connected ships to forestall organisms from attaching to them.

The lobsters were obtained from 4 sites that encompass lobster sportfishing country (LFA) 34 successful the little Bay of Fundy, LFA 33 connected the South Shore, LFA 30-32 connected the Eastern Shore and portion of Cape Breton, and LFA 26A on the Northumberland Shore betwixt Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

While the microplastics were recovered successful each samples, the lobsters collected from southwest Nova Scotia successful LFA 34 had the highest concentration.

LeBlanc cautions, however, that fixed the tiny illustration size of 16 lobsters, much probe is needed to larn whether the geographic differences are a trend.

Tony Walker, 1 of the paper’s co-authors and a prof astatine Dal’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies, characterized the attraction of microplastics successful the lobster nutrient arsenic “relatively low” compared with those recovered successful different types of food.

Health implications unknown

Karl Jobst is an subordinate prof successful the chemistry section astatine Memorial University, and studies the interaction of microplastics connected quality wellness — particularly aboriginal successful life.

His probe radical has recovered that microplastics are contiguous successful humor and placental insubstantial but helium says determination is inactive uncertainty astir whether the exposures are precocious capable to origin adverse effects.

Jobst and his squad person besides conducted rodent exemplary experiments utilizing elevated concentrations of microplastics and recovered that they tin origin adverse effects during gestation successful mice, including fetal maturation restriction, altered metabolism and abnormal encephalon development.

Test tubes amusement lobster process musculus insubstantial successful a chemic bath to isolate the microplastics from the tissue. (Submitted by Amber LeBlanc)

Jobst said he, too, is unsurprised by the uncovering of microplastics successful lobster meat.

“Microplastics are widespread,” helium said. “There are a increasing fig of studies successful the lit reporting connected the occurrence of microplastics successful humans and wildlife connected the highest mountains, successful the ocean.”

The lobster study’s results are important, Jobst said, but it’s excessively aboriginal to gully conclusions astir the interaction connected quality health.

“I'm not definite I'd beryllium acceptable to reason that consuming lobster would correspond a important root of exposure,” helium said.

Seafood manufacture responds

Representatives of Nova Scotia’s seafood manufacture raised questions astir the lobster study, noting that the illustration size is tiny and that microplastics person been recovered successful galore antithetic foods, including some ocean-based and land-based proteins.

Stewart Lamont, the managing manager of Tangier Lobster Company, which exports lobsters to clients successful 13 countries, said helium would similar to spot a comparative investigation of microplastic concentrations successful antithetic foods.

“Microplastics are communal passim the full nutrient chain. So I'm reasonably assured this is not exclusively a lobster issue. I fishy it's a nutrient issue, a societal contented that we request to code connected a nationalist basis.”

Lamont said he’s not overly acrophobic that the survey could interaction depletion of lobster, arsenic it’s mostly a “celebration food” eaten a fewer times a year, alternatively than thing that graces the sheet respective times a week. 

Some representatives of the seafood manufacture successful Nova Scotia said the beingness of microplastics successful nutrient is not constricted to lobster. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)

Kris Vascotto is the enforcement manager of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, which represents lobster buyers, exporters and processors.

He said fixed the ubiquity of microplastics successful food, lobster should beryllium viewed successful that larger context.

“I deliberation it's precise important for consumers to recognize that it is inactive an fantabulous protein,” helium said. “It's sustainably sourced … and there’s a batch of wellness benefits to proceed consuming food and seafood.”

Walker, 1 of the study’s authors, said the probe was intended chiefly to corroborate whether microplastics were contiguous successful the edible nutrient of lobsters and what types of integrative were there.

He said erstwhile probe had lone looked astatine microplastics successful lobsters’ digestive tracts.

Walker and LeBlanc accidental much probe is needed to recognize the effects of microplastics connected the crustaceans and connected humans.