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Evaluating the Suitability of ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy for Screening Suspected Microplastics (MPs) in Human Breast Milk (HBM)
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Scientists tested a common lab technique to see if it could reliably detect tiny plastic particles in breast milk, and found possible traces of several plastic types, but the results were only low-to-moderate confidence, meaning the method isn't precise enough yet to be fully trusted. This matters because it means we still don't have a solid tool to confirm how much plastic exposure infants may get through breastfeeding, and researchers say better testing methods are needed before drawing firm conclusions about health risks.
Background: Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly detected in human biological samples, including human breast milk (HBM), raising concerns regarding infant exposure during early development. However, analysing MPs in HBM remains challenging due to its complex composition and limited standardised detection methods. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy for identifying MPs in HBM following enzymatic digestion and oxidative treatment. Methods: Processed samples were filtered, visually screened under a stereomicroscope, and analysed using ATR-FTIR. Spectral matches were compared with a polymer reference library. Results: Several polymer signatures were detected, including polypropylene (PP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE), with match scores ranging from low to moderate confidence (0.43–0.55). These findings show that ATR-FTIR can support preliminary MP screening in HBM, but accuracy is limited by spectral resolution, library constraints and contamination risks. Improved contamination control upgraded software libraries, and integration of complementary techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC-MS are recommended to strengthen reliability. Conclusion: Overall, this work provides early analytical insight into MP detection in HBM and highlights key considerations for method optimisation in future studies.
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Evaluating the suitability of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for screening suspected microplastics (MPs) in human breast milk (HBM)
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Scientists tested a lab technique to detect tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in breast milk, finding possible traces of several plastic types, though with only low-to-moderate confidence in the results. This is early-stage research showing the detection method needs refinement before we can say for certain how much plastic is actually in breast milk, but it's an important first step toward understanding whether babies may be exposed to microplastics through nursing.
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