We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics in the New Zealand Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers evaluated methods for isolating microplastics from New Zealand green-lipped mussels, tarakihi fish, bottled water, tap water, and sea salt, testing potassium hydroxide digestion and Nile red staining followed by FTIR identification. They found that 10% KOH digestion effectively removed biological tissue while preserving common polymers including PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, and PS, and confirmed microplastic presence across all sample types.
It is a concern that microplastics have been discovered in the food sources and water that we consume. This research was to evaluate the methods to isolate microplastics from organisms and how much of the environment of New Zealand (NZ), which is one of the least polluted countries, is contaminated by microplastics. New Zealand green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) are considered to be an important product in the NZ food industry. For this reason, the existence of microplastics in these were investigated. Tarakihi fish (Nemadactylusmacropterus) consume food near the bottom of ocean, so this fish can be an indicator of the contamination of microplastics denser than water. In addition, bottled water, tap water and sea salt samples were also investigated. To isolate solid particles in an animal body, its tissues were chemically digested. It was found that 10% (w/w) potassium hydroxide (KOH) was a practical digestive protocol on biological tissues since polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) are relatively resistant to KOH. Thus, treating tissues with KOH can be considered a viable method to remove tissues and isolate microplastics. Nile red was used to stain the plastic particles from the samples for visual inspection. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was performed to identify the particles. It was evaluated that all those samples had traces of microplastics.
More Papers Like This
A short review on the recent method development for extraction and identification of microplastics in mussels and fish, two major groups of seafood
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarized the methods used to extract and identify microplastics in mussels and fish, two major seafood groups. Researchers found that alkaline digestion was the most common extraction technique while FTIR spectroscopy was the predominant identification method. The study recommends standardizing analytical protocols to enable better comparison of microplastic contamination data across different studies of seafood.
A validated Nile Red fluorescence method following KOH/H₂O₂ digestion for microplastic detection in marine molluscs.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed and tested a faster method to detect microplastics in mussels and sea snails, using a dye and chemical treatment to remove natural tissue while leaving plastic particles intact. Applied to 67 Black Sea animals, mussels showed higher microplastic levels than sea snails.
Screening for microplastics in sediment, water, marine invertebrates and fish: Method development and microplastic accumulation
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed improved methods for extracting microplastics from biological samples and sediments, using enzymatic digestion that achieved 97% particle recovery without damaging the plastics. When applied to field samples from the North Sea and Swedish coast, they found microplastics in 8 of 9 invertebrate species tested and in 68% of brown trout. Mussel tissue contained roughly a thousand times more microplastic particles per kilogram than surrounding sediment or water.
Extraction and identification of microplastics from mussels: Method development and preliminary results
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists developed and validated a method for extracting and identifying microplastics from mussel tissue, then applied it to measure contamination in commercially harvested mussels. The method produced reliable, reproducible results, providing a practical tool for monitoring microplastic levels in one of the world's most widely consumed shellfish.
Evaluation of existing methods to extract microplastics from bivalve tissue: Adapted KOH digestion protocol improves filtration at single-digit pore size
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared several existing methods for extracting microplastics from bivalve tissue, including hydrogen peroxide, enzymatic digestion, and potassium hydroxide treatments. They found that only the KOH method allowed filtration through very fine filters down to 1.2 micrometers when a neutralization step was added, enabling recovery of much smaller microplastics. The study recommends KOH digestion as the most practical extraction method for studies aiming to assess human exposure risk from consuming shellfish.
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.