We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Towards harmonised methods for microplastic analysis in food: development and optimisation for seafood products
Summary
Researchers evaluated and optimized methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics in the edible parts of seafood products, comparing enzymatic-alkaline digestion combined with filtration and oxidative treatment against other approaches for sensitivity, precision, and practical accessibility. The study aimed to contribute to method standardization, identifying the combined digestion protocol as most suitable for routine food control analysis.
Recent proof of the presence of microplastics (MP) in the human body, especially in the digestive system and stool, support the theory of ingestion being a viable route for MP uptake in humans. This raises food safety concerns, particularly for seafood, as studies around the world frequently report the ingestion of plastic particles by aquatic organisms. However, for risk assessment detailed information on the occurrence of MP in edible tissues is required. Despite first quantitative assessments of MP in the edible parts of several seafood products, comparing results of different studies is difficult due to the diversity of methods and their validity. In recent years interlaboratory comparison studies highlighted the need for method harmonisation and standardisation. This study aimed to contribute to method development and standardisation by evaluating and optimising promising approaches for analysing small plastic particles in the edible part of seafood products. Numerous techniques are described in literature; however, they are often time consuming, or require exclusive equipment, thus, limiting their applicability for routine analysis e.g., in food control. Consequently, methods are not only compared regarding analytical performance (e.g., sensitivity, precision), but also regarding complexity, accessibility and sample throughput. For sample preparation, a combined enzymatic-alkaline digestion with consecutive filtration and oxidative treatment of the filters was the most promising approach; suitable for MP analysis with optical and mass-based methods. Within on-going research activities, the potential of fast and/or easily accessible analytical techniques, including methods like fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scan, differential scanning calorimetry and quantitative NMR-spectroscopy, is compared to currently often applied techniques (FTIR, Raman, Pyrolysis-GC/MS). Preliminary results indicate, that there is no "one-fits-all"-method for all analytical needs yet. In particular, in the case of nanoplastic analysis, significant method development is still required. Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/424833/document
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Evaluation and optimisation of sample preparation protocols suitable for the analysis of plastic particles present in seafood
Ten digestion protocols for extracting microplastics from seafood were compared across a broad range of species, evaluating their ability to fully digest tissue without damaging polymer integrity, providing a basis for selecting suitable methods for human exposure assessment.
Microplastics in seafood: Benchmark protocol for their extraction and characterization
Researchers developed a benchmark protocol for extracting and characterizing microplastics from seafood samples, providing standardized methods to improve consistency and comparability across studies measuring human dietary exposure.
Determination of microplastic content in seafood: An integrated approach combined with the determination of elemental contaminants
Researchers developed and tested an integrated analytical approach combining multiple techniques to reliably detect and characterize microplastics in seafood. The method aims to provide more accurate and reproducible results for food safety assessments.
Optimization of an Analytical Protocol for the Extraction of Microplastics from Seafood Samples with Different Levels of Fat
Researchers optimized an analytical protocol for extracting microplastics from seafood samples with varying fat content, addressing a key methodological challenge in accurately quantifying microplastic contamination in marine food sources given the ubiquitous presence of plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in marine environments.
Challenges in the blue economy: Methods for digesting and extracting microplastics from marine resources
Researchers reviewed methods for digesting and extracting microplastics from seafood and other marine products as part of addressing microplastic challenges in the blue economy. The review identified best-practice extraction protocols and highlighted the need for harmonized methods across laboratories.