We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The influence of complex matrices on method performance in extracting and monitoring for microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Fifteen laboratories tested microplastic extraction from four complex matrices (drinking water, fish tissue, sediment, surface water), finding recovery rates of only 60-70% for particles above 212 microns and as low as 2% for particles below 20 microns, with sediment being the most challenging matrix.
Previous studies have evaluated method performance for quantifying and characterizing microplastics in clean water, but little is known about the efficacy of procedures used to extract microplastics from complex matrices. Here we provided 15 laboratories with samples representing four matrices (i.e., drinking water, fish tissue, sediment, and surface water) each spiked with a known number of microplastic particles spanning a variety of polymers, morphologies, colors, and sizes. Percent recovery (i.e., accuracy) in complex matrices was particle size dependent, with ∼60-70% recovery for particles >212 μm, but as little as 2% recovery for particles <20 μm. Extraction from sediment was most problematic, with recoveries reduced by at least one-third relative to drinking water. Though accuracy was low, the extraction procedures had no observed effect on precision or chemical identification using spectroscopy. Extraction procedures greatly increased sample processing times for all matrices with the extraction of sediment, tissue, and surface water taking approximately 16, 9, and 4 times longer than drinking water, respectively. Overall, our findings indicate that increasing accuracy and reducing sample processing times present the greatest opportunities for method improvement rather than particle identification and characterization.
More Papers Like This
Evidence of underestimation in microplastic research: A meta-analysis of recovery rate studies
AI summary Read the abstract
Across 71 recovery rate studies, microplastic extraction methods recovered only about 86% of spiked particles on average, meaning environmental microplastic concentrations are likely underestimated by approximately 14%, with recovery rates lowest from fishmeal, water, and soil matrices (58-71%).
Comparison of microplastic isolation and extraction procedures from marine sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared five methods for extracting microplastics (40-710 μm) from marine sediments by spiking known MP quantities into sediment matrices and measuring percent recovery across extraction approaches. Results showed that sediment matrix composition, MP properties including size and polymer type, and extraction method all significantly influenced recovery efficiency, underscoring the need for standardized extraction protocols to enable cross-study comparisons.
A Complete Guide to Extraction Methods of Microplastics from Complex Environmental Matrices
AI summary Read the abstract
This review provides a comprehensive guide to the methods used for extracting microplastics from complex environmental samples like soil, sediment, water, and biological tissue. Researchers compare the effectiveness, cost, and practicality of different extraction approaches. The study highlights the ongoing need for standardized, efficient methods so that microplastic pollution measurements from different studies can be reliably compared.
Towards a Consensus Method for the Isolation of Microplastics from Freshwater Sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
This paper works toward a consensus method for isolating microplastics from complex environmental matrices, comparing existing protocols and identifying sources of variability in recovery and detection. Standardization is identified as critical for making results comparable across studies.
Extraction of microplastics from sediment matrices: Experimental comparative analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
Extraction efficiencies of four methods for separating microplastics from sediment matrices were experimentally compared using spiked samples, finding that density separation with saturated NaCl was adequate for most polymer types but underperformed for high-density polymers, and that no single method achieved complete recovery across all particle sizes and shapes.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.