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Challenges in the analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics extracted from marine biological tissues: a review
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Scientists are still working out the best way to detect tiny plastic particles hiding inside fish and other seafood—this review rounds up the current methods and shows that certain techniques (like using alkaline chemicals to dissolve tissue) can recover over 95% of the plastic for analysis. Getting these methods standardized matters because it's the first step to reliably measuring how much microplastic and nanoplastic contamination is actually in the seafood we eat, which is key to understanding any potential health risks.
Abstract Unlike many common pollutants, the analysis of microplastics is challenging because these contaminants are macromolecular, they have very different size and composition, and they occur in the environment associated with other matter. Here, we review the extraction of microplastics and nanoplastics from marine organisms, with emphasis on standardization and optimization of extraction protocols. Most methods involve digesting the organic material of the organism tissue, thus leaving behind the plastic particles, which are then separated and identified. Alkali treatment has shown high recovery rates, often above 95%. Recovery might be improved by combination with other treatments, e.g. using surfactants and enzymes. Low digestion temperature is suggested to prevent plastic degradation and low-pressure filtration to avoid loss of microfibers and small particles. Detection is preferred by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy allows physical characterization at the nanoscale. We also discuss the relevance of the use of ‘microplastic’ and ‘nanoplastic’ terminologies, and propose a novel size-based nomenclature.
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This review evaluates the methods scientists use to extract and identify microplastics from biological tissues like fish, shellfish, and animal organs. Researchers found that different extraction approaches (using acids, bases, or enzymes) yield different results, and many studies report finding plastics at sizes that may be too large to have actually crossed biological barriers. The study calls for more standardized and biologically plausible methods to improve the reliability of tissue contamination research.
Detection of Nanoplastics in Marine Environments: Current Methods and Future Perspectives
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Tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics—so small they're invisible to the eye—are ending up in our oceans, but scientists still don't have a reliable, standardized way to detect and measure them. This review rounds up the current lab methods for finding these particles in seawater and marine life, and finds that testing techniques vary widely and aren't yet consistent across labs. That matters because nanoplastics can end up in seafood we eat, and until scientists agree on how to accurately measure them, it's hard to know just how much we're actually exposed to or what health risks they pose.
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Ten digestion protocols for extracting microplastics from seafood were compared across a broad range of species, evaluating their ability to fully digest tissue without damaging polymer integrity, providing a basis for selecting suitable methods for human exposure assessment.
Investigation of Detection Method for Nanoplastics in Shellfish
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Researchers investigated detection methods for nanoplastics in shellfish, evaluating analytical techniques capable of identifying and quantifying nanoscale plastic particles in bivalve tissues. The study addresses the methodological challenges of isolating and characterizing nanoplastics from complex biological matrices.
Extraction and detection methods of microplastics in food and marine systems: A critical review
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This critical review evaluates the various methods used to extract and detect microplastics in food and marine samples, from sample preparation to analytical identification. Researchers found significant inconsistencies across studies in how microplastics are separated, quantified, and characterized, making it difficult to compare results. The study calls for standardized protocols to enable more reliable assessments of microplastic contamination in food and the environment.
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