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Ultrapure detergent (Extran®) improves microplastics analysis in surface water samples with planktonic fragments
Summary
Researchers evaluated the use of ultrapure Extran detergent to improve microplastic analysis in surface water samples containing planktonic fragments, addressing contamination and interference challenges during sample processing. The method aimed to reduce false positives by more effectively separating biological material from genuine microplastic particles during identification.
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging anthropogenic pollutants of significant environmental concern. Due to their small size and high mobility, investigating these particles is a laborious and delicate task. Studies prioritizing methodological standardization and quality control have sparked a growing interest in the scientific community regarding the development of methods that minimize potential errors in the analysis and identification of MPs. One of the main challenges in investigating MPs in environmental matrices is the presence of other organic particles, which often hinder the analyst's visualization or are misidentified as MPs. The aim of this work was to reduce visual interferences caused by fragments of planktonic organisms with chitinous exoskeletons in marine water samples. The samples were collected using a 300 µm mesh plankton net along the coast of the State of São Paulo (Brazil). In the laboratory, they underwent organic matter digestion with H2O2 (35 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/557627/document