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Detection and characterization of microplastics and nanoplastics in biological samples
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Researchers reviewed current methods for detecting and characterizing microplastics and nanoplastics in biological samples, finding that most techniques are optimized for environmental media like water and perform poorly in complex biological matrices, and recommending improved workflows for digestion, separation, enrichment, and analysis of particles in organisms and human tissues.
Plastic pollution from microplastics (1 μm–5 mm) and nanoplastics (<1 μm) is an emerging global threat. These particles have been detected in water, soil, atmospheric samples and even in naturally sampled organisms and human tissues/organs with potential ecological and health risks. However, most detection techniques are better suited for microplastic and nanoplastic (MNP) identification in ideal media (such as water) and face limitations when analysing biological samples. This issue must be addressed because the minimum sizes of MNPs found in organisms are often larger than those detected in water. In this Review, we discuss current progress in the detection, identification and analysis of MNPs in naturally sampled organisms and the human body. Moreover, we provide recommendations for how to improve the workflows of detection and labelling of MNPs in biological samples. Despite microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) being identified in different organisms and humans, current detection and characterization techniques are mainly tailored for environmental samples. In this Review, the authors highlight strategies to improve workflows of digestion, separation, enrichment, detection and analysis of MNPs in biological samples, and discuss the presence of MNPs in the human body.
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Researchers reviewed the sampling, detection, and characterization methods used to identify microplastics in water, sediment, and biological tissue samples. Standardized, reliable techniques are critical for generating comparable data across studies, which is necessary to accurately assess the true extent of microplastic contamination in ecosystems and living organisms.
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Researchers reviewed the primary identification and quantification methods for micro and nanoplastics (MNPs), covering spectroscopic, microscopic, and chemical analytical techniques used to detect particles across environmental and biological matrices. Standardized, reliable detection methods are essential for accurately tracking MNP contamination levels and informing regulatory and public health responses.
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