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Advancing microplastic detection in zebrafish with micro computed tomography: A novel approach to revealing microplastic distribution in organisms
Summary
Researchers tested a new approach using X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT) to detect and map microplastics inside zebrafish in three dimensions. The non-destructive imaging technique successfully identified polyethylene particles throughout the gut and revealed how their distribution changed over time. This method offers a promising alternative to traditional destructive techniques for studying how microplastics move through living organisms.
The analysis of microplastics with current spectroscopic and pyrolytic methods is reaching its limits, especially with regard to detailed spatial distribution in biological tissues. This limitation hampers a comprehensive understanding of the effects of microplastics on organisms. Therefore, there is a pressing need to expand the analytical approaches to study microplastics in biota. In this context, the aim of this study was to test the applicability of non-destructive 3D imaging using X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT) for the detection of microplastics in fish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were gavaged with polyethylene spherical microplastics (30-110 μm) and the distribution of microplastics in the gut was investigated using microCT. The results showed that the particle size distribution determined by microCT closely matched the data from conventional laser diffraction analysis. In addition, microCT was able to detect microplastics in spiked fish tissue and provide precise localization data by tracing particles of known type and shape. MicroCT offers a novel approach for tracking microplastics in organisms and enables accurate sizing without compromising the integrity of the tissue under investigation. It therefore represents a valuable addition to spectroscopic methods, which are widely used for the detection of microplastics based on their chemical composition but do not provide data on their spatial distribution.