Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Detection Methods Environmental Sources Gut & Microbiome Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Exploring Microplastics’ Presence in Free-Living Marine Nematodes from Natural Ecosystems Using µ-Raman Spectroscopy

Microplastics 2025 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 43 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Carl Van Colen, Carl Van Colen, Gabriella Pantó, Gabriella Pantó, Oliver Jacob, Oliver Jacob, Natalia P. Ivleva Gabriella Pantó, Gabriella Pantó, Natalia P. Ivleva Oliver Jacob, Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Natalia P. Ivleva Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Natalia P. Ivleva Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Ann Vanreusel, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Carl Van Colen, Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Oliver Jacob, Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Carl Van Colen, Gabriella Pantó, Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Natalia P. Ivleva Carl Van Colen, Ann Vanreusel, Natalia P. Ivleva

Summary

Researchers attempted to detect microplastics inside free-living marine nematodes — tiny worms that live in seafloor sediments and are often used as pollution bioindicators — using high-resolution Raman spectroscopy. While technically feasible, the study found that contamination from airborne microplastics and plastic lab equipment was a major obstacle to getting reliable results in these very small organisms. The findings underscore the need for stricter contamination controls in microplastic research involving organisms that can ingest particles smaller than 5 micrometers.

Polymers

PE PET PLA PMMA PP PS

Detecting microplastics (MPs) in marine organisms is vital for understanding the ecological impact of MP pollution. Free-living marine nematodes, key players in benthic ecosystems, are often employed as bioindicators because of their sensitivity to environmental changes and thus hold promise as bioindicators for MP pollution too. This study investigated the detection of MPs in nematodes using µ-Raman spectroscopy combined with a tailored digestion protocol, targeting MPs in size ranges between 1 and 15 µm. While this is the first documented attempt to detect MPs in field-collected nematodes, significant challenges were identified. Contamination, particularly from airborne MPs and plastic-based laboratory materials, posed a major obstacle. We found higher numbers of <5 µm particles of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS) in a natural community of nematodes compared to blank controls, suggesting the potential ingestion of small-sized MPs by nematodes in the real world. However, small MPs exhibited greater contamination challenges, underscoring the need for improved contamination control measures, such as open-air filters and plastic-free workflows. Despite these challenges, this study highlights the potential of µ-Raman spectroscopy as a valuable tool for detecting small-sized MPs in field-collected marine invertebrates, provided contamination risks are minimized. The likelihood of nematodes encountering MPs in marine sediments is high, but whether this translates to significant ingestion remains uncertain pending on the analysis of more field samples and the application of efficient measures of contamination reduction.

Read via DOI Download PDF

Share this paper

Post Share Share Pin Email