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Environmentally-Acquired Microplastics in Edible Tissues of Broiler and Free-Range Local Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Nigeria: ATR-FTIR and SEM Characterization Comparing Alkaline (KOH) and Fenton Oxidative Digestion Mercy O. Boyi1*Adetutu O. Aliyu2 Saidu Garba2 Abdulafeez O. Akorede
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Researchers testing chicken meat, liver, and heart from Nigerian farms found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in all the tissues they examined, with the liver having the most, likely because it filters substances absorbed from the gut. Farm-raised broiler chickens had more plastic contamination than free-range birds, probably picking up plastic from feed bags and plastic equipment used in intensive farming, which means the way chickens are raised may affect how much plastic ends up on your plate. While this study was done in Nigeria, it adds to growing evidence that eating meat may be one everyday way people are exposed to microplastics
Microplastic (MP) contamination of commercially consumed poultry tissues represents an emerging but poorly characterized food safety risk, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where plastic waste management infrastructure is severely inadequate. This study provides evidence of environmentally-acquired MPs in the liver, heart, and breast muscle of broiler and free-range local chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) sourced from Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Ten chickens, five intensively farmed broilers and five free-range local birds were processed using two independent digestion protocols: alkaline (10% w/v KOH) and Fenton oxidative (H2O2/Fe2+), each applied to separate sample sub-sets across three tissues (liver, heart, breast muscle). Isolated particles were characterized by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). ATR-FTIR identified five polymer types: polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Broiler tissues showed consistently greater MP loading and polymer diversity, with PET and PE dominant reflecting intensive farm plastic infrastructure (feed bags, PET troughs, packaging). Free-range local chicken tissues were characterized predominantly by PS, PP, and PVC, consistent with open-environment. A tissue-specific accumulation hierarchy was demonstrated: liver > heart > breast muscle, corresponding to portal-vascular translocation. Fenton oxidative digestion systematically outperformed KOH, uniquely detecting PET. SEM analysis of 19 MP-positive filter samples revealed five morphological categories: films/sheets (47%), angular fragments (37%), granules/pellets (16%), fibres (11%), and spheres. These findings reveal that commercially consumed Nigerian poultry can serve as a dietary vector for human MP exposure and support Fenton oxidative digestion as the recommended protocol for edible tissue MP analysis.
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Microplastic Contamination in Edible Tissues of Broiler and Free -Range Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) from Nigeria: Polymer and Morphological Characterisation Using ATR-FTIR and SEM with Comparison of KOH and Fenton Digestion Protocols
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Researchers found tiny plastic particles, including common types like polyethylene and polystyrene, in the liver, heart, and muscle of chickens sold in Nigeria, with the liver most contaminated. Since chicken is a widely eaten food, this suggests poultry could be a hidden way people are exposed to microplastics, though more research is needed to understand health risks.
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Researchers tested liver, heart and breast muscle from ten chickens (broiler and free-range) in Kaduna State, Nigeria, for microplastics using two lab methods. Both farmed and free-range birds contained plastic particles of several types, with more found in broiler tissue and in liver compared to heart and muscle. One testing method, using hydrogen peroxide and iron, detected more plastic types than the other.
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