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Microplastics in domestic sheep: researching screening methods for food safety
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Scientists tested a low-cost method for detecting tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the organs of sheep, since these particles are showing up everywhere in the environment and could end up in the meat we eat. They found possible microplastics in roughly a third to half of the tissue samples, but similar levels also showed up in their control samples, meaning contamination during testing is a real challenge that needs to be solved before scientists can accurately measure how much plastic is actually in our food. This is an early step toward better food safety testing, not a final answer on how much plastic is in the meat you buy.
Microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous in the environment, and have been detected in the tissues of several species. Limited studies quantify the presence of MP in food producing species, including sheep. Here, MP were screened in tissue samples from Australian sheep using low-cost methodologies, with the aim of enabling their subsequent chemical characterization and quantification. Samples of several organs from six sheep were prepared using (i) a standard digestion and filtration protocol, and (ii) a novel impression smear method. Both methods involved staining with Nile Red (10µg/ml) and observation by fluorescence microscopy. Suspected MP were detected in 32.3% (10/31) of digestion samples, 51.6% (16/31) of smear samples and 50.0% (8/16) of controls. Such results will direct further research aimed at contributing to food safety and public health policies focused on animal and human health.
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