Papers

16 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in marine environments: protocol for isolating natural biofilms from seawater-incubated particles v1

Researchers developed and described a standardized laboratory protocol for incubating microplastic particles in seawater to cultivate natural marine biofilms, covering device preparation, sample collection, and downstream processing steps designed to minimize contamination while enabling reproducible study of microbial communities, potential pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance genes on plastic surfaces.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Culturing the Plastisphere: comparing methods to isolate culturable bacteria colonising microplastics

Researchers compared culturing methods for isolating bacteria from the plastisphere (plastic-colonizing microbial communities), finding that method choice strongly influences which bacterial taxa are recovered and that standardization is needed to better assess pathogen and resistance gene enrichment on microplastics.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

New techniques for the detection of microplastics in sediments and field collected organisms

Researchers developed new techniques for detecting microplastics in sediment samples and for collecting particles in the field, improving the reliability and sensitivity of methods used to monitor environmental microplastic contamination.

2013 Marine Pollution Bulletin 971 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolating Microplastics from Biofilm Communities

This study developed a protocol for isolating and observing microplastics from biofilm communities in urban waterways, and successfully integrated the method into a project-based learning curriculum for high school science education.

2022 The American Biology Teacher 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards a Consensus Method for the Isolation of Microplastics from Freshwater Sediments

This paper works toward a consensus method for isolating microplastics from complex environmental matrices, comparing existing protocols and identifying sources of variability in recovery and detection. Standardization is identified as critical for making results comparable across studies.

2024 Environments 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Extracting DNA from ocean microplastics: a method comparison study

Researchers compared multiple methods for extracting DNA from microplastics collected in the ocean, providing detailed protocols for studying the microbial communities that colonize plastic debris. Understanding what microorganisms colonize marine plastics is important because these surfaces can transport bacteria — including potentially harmful species — across long ocean distances.

2016 Analytical Methods 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of microplastic isolation and extraction procedures from marine sediments

Researchers compared five methods for extracting microplastics (40-710 μm) from marine sediments by spiking known MP quantities into sediment matrices and measuring percent recovery across extraction approaches. Results showed that sediment matrix composition, MP properties including size and polymer type, and extraction method all significantly influenced recovery efficiency, underscoring the need for standardized extraction protocols to enable cross-study comparisons.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation of microplastics in biota-rich seawater samples and marine organisms

Researchers developed and tested methods for extracting microplastics from seawater samples rich in biological material and from the tissues of marine organisms. They found that enzymatic digestion was the most effective and least destructive approach for isolating microplastics from biological samples, outperforming acid and alkaline treatments. The study provides improved laboratory protocols that will help scientists more accurately measure microplastic contamination in marine environments and wildlife.

2014 Scientific Reports 1035 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic isolation method for wastewater and sludge samples by removal of excess organic and inorganic interferences

Researchers developed an improved microplastic isolation method for wastewater and sludge samples that removes extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) interfering with detection. The optimized protocol improves the accuracy and reliability of microplastic quantification in complex environmental matrices.

2023 Chemosphere 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Various Digestion Protocols Within Microplastic Sample Processing—Evaluating the Resistance of Different Synthetic Polymers and the Efficiency of Biogenic Organic Matter Destruction

Multiple organic matter digestion protocols used in microplastic sample preparation were systematically evaluated for their effectiveness in removing biogenic material while preserving plastic particles. The review helps standardize sample processing by identifying which digestion chemicals and conditions work best for different environmental matrices.

2020 Frontiers in Environmental Science 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastisphere community assemblage of aquatic environment: plastic-microbe interaction, role in degradation and characterization technologies

This review examines the plastisphere—microbial communities colonizing plastic surfaces in aquatic environments—covering how these biofilms form, their role in plastic biodegradation, and current characterization technologies for studying plastic-microbe interactions.

2022 Environmental Microbiome 107 citations
Article Tier 2

A straightforward protocol for extracting microplastics from freshwater sediment with high organic content

Researchers developed a simplified protocol for extracting microplastics from organic-rich clayey freshwater sediments. The method achieved recovery rates exceeding 83% for five common plastic types and minimized particle loss by reducing container transfers, offering a practical and effective approach for environmental monitoring.

2025 Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in sediments: A review of techniques, occurrence and effects

This review examined techniques, occurrence data, and ecological effects of microplastics in sediments, synthesizing evidence that sediments act as a major long-term repository for microplastic contamination in both freshwater and marine systems.

2015 Marine Environmental Research 1190 citations
Article Tier 2

Sampling, Isolating and Identifying Microplastics Ingested by Fish and Invertebrates *

This methodological review critically evaluated sampling, isolation, and identification techniques for microplastics ingested by fish and invertebrates, identifying common sources of error including contamination during processing, particle loss, and misidentification — and recommending standardized protocols.

2020 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Developmentof Standardized Methods to Extract andDigest Microplastics in Environmental Samples

Researchers reviewed and compared extraction and digestion methods for isolating microplastics from environmental samples, finding that the lack of standardization across techniques is a major barrier to producing comparable results and calling for validated universal protocols.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Binary Solvent Extraction of Microplastics from Complex Environmental Matrix.

Researchers tested a two-solvent extraction method for isolating microplastics from complex environmental matrices. An efficient extraction technique is important for accurately detecting and quantifying microplastics in samples like sediment and biological tissue that contain many other organic and inorganic compounds.

2023