We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Dyeing to Know: Harmonizing Nile Red Staining Protocols for Microplastic Identification
Summary
Researchers systematically evaluated eight carrier solvents for Nile Red fluorescence staining to improve microplastic identification and classification. The study identified an acetone-water mixture as the optimal solvent, balancing strong fluorescence performance with minimal polymer degradation, and demonstrated that Fenton oxidation effectively eliminated false-positive fluorescence from natural organic materials.
The increasing prevalence of microplastic (MP) pollution and the labor-intensive nature of existing identification methods necessitate improved large-scale detection approaches. Nile Red (NR) fluorescence, which varies with polarity, offers a potential classification method, but standardization of carrier solvents and fluorescence differentiation techniques remains lacking. This study evaluated eight NR-carrier solvents (n-hexane, chloroform, acetone, methanol, ethanol, acetone/hexane, acetone/ethanol, and acetone/water) across ten common MP polymers (HDPE, LDPE, PP, EPS, PS, PC, ABS, PVC, PET, and PA). Fluorescence intensity, Stokes shift, and solvent-induced polymer degradation were analyzed. The study also assessed HSV (Hue/Saturation/Value) color spaces for Stokes shift representation and MP differentiation. Fenton oxidation effectively quenched fluorescence in natural organic matter (e.g., eggshells, fingernails, wood, cotton) while preserving NR-stained MPs. Acetone/water [25% (v/v)] emerged as the optimal solvent, balancing fluorescence performance and minimal degradation.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Dyeing to Know: Harmonising Nile Red Staining Protocols for Microplastic Identification
Researchers tested eight carrier solvents for Nile Red fluorescence staining of ten common microplastic polymer types to identify which combinations best distinguish MPs. Carrier solvent choice significantly affected fluorescence behavior and classification accuracy, identifying specific solvent-polymer combinations that optimize MP identification—a step toward harmonizing the widely used but unstandardized Nile Red staining protocol.
Dyeing to Know: Optimizing Solvents for Nile Red Fluorescence in Microplastics Analysis
Researchers investigated how the choice of solvent affects Nile Red fluorescence staining for microplastic identification, optimizing solvent conditions to improve the reliability of fluorescence-based classification of microplastic polymer types in environmental samples.
Dyeing to Know: Optimizing Solvents for Nile Red Fluorescence in Microplastics Analysis
Researchers investigated how solvent choice influences Nile Red fluorescence staining for microplastic detection, optimizing conditions for polarity-dependent fluorescence to enable more accurate polymer classification in large-scale environmental microplastic sampling.
Nile Red Staining as a Subsidiary Method for Microplastic Quantifica-tion: A Comparison of Three Solvents and Factors Influencing Application Reliability
This study evaluated Nile Red fluorescent staining as a method for quantifying microplastics in environmental samples, comparing it to traditional identification techniques. The approach can help distinguish microplastics from organic particles more quickly and cost-effectively, supporting higher-throughput microplastic analysis in environmental monitoring programs.
Nile Red Staining as a Subsidiary Method for Microplastic Quantifica-tion: A Comparison of Three Solvents and Factors Influencing Application Reliability
Researchers compared three solvents — acetone, chloroform, and n-hexane — for Nile Red fluorescent staining of microplastics across multiple polymer types and post-consumer materials, finding chloroform most effective with an 83.3% recovery rate, though the method falls short of the reliability of Raman or FTIR spectroscopy.