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Validation of an optimised protocol for quantification of microplastics in heterogenous samples: A case study using green turtle chyme
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This paper developed and validated an optimized protocol for extracting and quantifying microplastics from the gut contents of marine organisms. Having a reliable, standardized method is essential for generating consistent data on microplastic ingestion across different species and studies.
Quantifying the extent of microplastic (<5 mm) contamination in the marine environment is an emerging field of study. Reliable extraction of microplastics from the gastro-intestinal content of marine organisms is crucial to evaluate microplastic contamination in marine fauna. Extraction protocols and variations thereof have been reported, however, these have mostly focussed on relatively homogenous samples (i.e. water, sediment, etc.). Here, we present a microplastic extraction protocol for examining green turtle () chyme (i.e. ingested material and digestive tract fluid), which is a heterogeneous composite of various organic dietary items (e.g. seagrass, jellyfish) and incidentally-ingested inorganic materials (sediment). Established extraction methods were modified and combined. This protocol consists of acid digestion of organic matter, emulsification of residual fat, density separation from sediment, and chemical identification by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. This protocol enables the extraction of the most common microplastic contaminants>100 μm: polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, (aminoethyl) polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride, with 100% efficiency. This validated protocol will enable researchers worldwide to quantify microplastic contamination in turtles in a reliable and comparable way. •Optimization of microplastic extraction from multifarious tissues by applying established methods in a sequential manner.•Effective for heterogenous samples comprising organic and inorganic material.
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Development and Validation of an Efficient Method for Processing Microplastics in Biota Samples
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Protocol optimization for microplastic analysis in sea turtles: Including the first blood digestion method
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Researchers developed and validated a two-step chemical digestion protocol for extracting microplastics from multiple sea turtle tissue types — including blood, for the first time — achieving recovery rates of 70–84% and providing a reproducible baseline method for studying microplastic bioaccumulation and maternal transfer in marine reptiles.
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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.