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Development of an analytical procedure to analyze microplastics in edible macroalgae using an enzymatic-oxidative digestion
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Researchers developed a reliable enzymatic-oxidative digestion method to detect and quantify microplastics in edible macroalgae, addressing a gap in food safety monitoring by providing a standardized analytical procedure for assessing microplastic contamination in an increasingly popular food source.
Besides being food and a refuge to marine species, macroalgae are a powerful and renewable economic resource. However, they may introduce microplastics (MPs) in the trophic chain. We developed a reliable analytical method to characterize and quantify MPs in common and edible macroalgae. Several digestion methods and filters, along with various measurement options, were studied. A new enzymatic-oxidative protocol with a unique final filtration was selected and validated with a mixture of 5 commercial macroalgae (Undaria pinnatifida spp, Porphyra spp, Ulva spp, Laminaria ochroleuca and Himanthalia elongate). Further, it was shown that washing the macroalgae to release MPs is suboptimal and the potential adhesion of MPs to macroalgae was evaluated. A filter subsampling strategy that scans 33.64 % of its surface reduced the time required to characterize <70 μm particles and fibres directly on the 47 mm diameter filter using an IR microscope (1 sample/day).
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Researchers assessed how polystyrene and polyethylene nanoplastics affect microalgae species used as food supplements, both before and after simulated digestion. The study found that nanoplastics persisted through the digestion process, altered particle behavior in the microalgae medium, and significantly increased total phenolic content, raising concerns about food safety when plastic contamination occurs.
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This review identified the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in marine macroalgae, highlighting macroalgae as both indicators of MP pollution and potential entry points for microplastics into marine food webs.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.