Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nondestructive Extraction and Identification of Microplastics from Freshwater Sport Fish Stomachs

Researchers developed a nondestructive protocol for extracting and identifying microplastics from freshwater sport fish stomachs containing large amounts of biological material, enabling more accurate counts without damaging the plastics. This method improvement helps ensure that ingested microplastics in fish are not missed or damaged during laboratory processing.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Protocol for extraction and analysis of microplastics in freshwater, sediment, and fish samples

Researchers developed a standardized protocol for extracting and identifying microplastics from freshwater, sediment, and fish digestive system samples, combining chemical digestion, density separation, vacuum filtration, and Raman spectroscopy to enable reliable, reproducible analysis across aquatic sample types.

2025 STAR Protocols 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental development of a new protocol for extraction and characterization of microplastics in fish tissues: First observations in commercial species from Adriatic Sea

Researchers developed and tested a new protocol for the extraction and characterization of microplastics from environmental samples, optimizing steps for recovery efficiency and polymer identification accuracy.

2015 Marine Environmental Research 768 citations
Article Tier 2

A high-performance protocol for extraction of microplastics in fish

Researchers developed and tested a high-performance protocol for extracting microplastics from fish tissue, achieving high recovery rates and providing a standardized approach for seafood contamination monitoring.

2016 The Science of The Total Environment 689 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods of digestion, isolation and identification of microplastics present in the fish gut content

This study evaluated four digestion methods for isolating microplastics from fish gut contents, finding that a combination of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid was most effective while preserving particle structure. Microplastic particles were found in the digestive tracts of all analyzed fish from Croatian freshwater and marine ecosystems, highlighting the widespread contamination of aquatic food sources.

2023 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Improved methodology for microplastic extraction from gastrointestinal tracts of fat fish species

Researchers improved microplastic extraction from fatty fish tissues by adding a small amount of the surfactant Tween-20 to potassium hydroxide digestion protocols, which disrupts the soap layer that forms during fat digestion and significantly increases microplastic recovery rates.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Food preference determines the best suitable digestion protocol for analysing microplastic ingestion by fish

Different fish species with different diets require different chemical digestion methods for accurately extracting and identifying microplastics from their digestive tracts. Choosing the right protocol for each species is essential for avoiding underestimation of microplastic ingestion, which affects the accuracy of food safety assessments.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Development and Validation of an Efficient Method for Processing Microplastics in Biota Samples

A new one-step laboratory method was developed to efficiently digest and extract microplastics from mussel and fish tissue samples. Standardized extraction methods are critical for making microplastic studies comparable across different labs and species.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Feasibility Study on Biomonitoring of Microplastics in Fish Gastrointestinal Tracts

This feasibility study assessed using fish gastrointestinal tracts as biomonitors for environmental microplastic contamination, evaluating sampling protocols, species selection, and analytical methods to establish standardized biomonitoring frameworks for marine plastic pollution.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Hyperspectral Imaging Based Method for Rapid Detection of Microplastics in the Intestinal Tracts of Fish

Researchers developed a hyperspectral imaging-based method to directly detect and identify microplastics in fish intestinal tracts without requiring tissue digestion or particle extraction, enabling faster and less reagent-intensive analysis compared to conventional Raman or FTIR approaches.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective and easy to use extraction method shows low numbers of microplastics in offshore planktivorous fish from the northern Baltic Sea

Microplastics were found at low levels in planktivorous fish from the northern Baltic Sea using a validated alkaline digestion extraction method. The study demonstrates an efficient, validated protocol for detecting microplastics in fish and provides baseline contamination data for Baltic marine food webs.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 68 citations
Article Tier 2

A new digestion approach for the extraction of microplastics from gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) from the western Mediterranean Sea

Researchers developed a novel combined KOH and nitric acid digestion protocol for extracting microplastics from the gastrointestinal tracts of marine fish, and validated it on common dolphinfish from the western Mediterranean Sea. The method improved detection of small MPs, with 65.5% of dolphinfish containing meso- and microplastic fragments and sheets predominantly composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics assessment in Arabian Sea fishes: accumulation, characterization, and method development

Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation in Arabian Sea fish species, developing optimized digestion protocols and characterizing polymer types to trace contamination sources, finding widespread microplastic ingestion across multiple commercially important fish species.

2023 Brazilian Journal of Biology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Quick and efficient microplastic isolation from fatty fish tissues by surfactant-enhanced alkaline digestion

Researchers developed a faster method for extracting microplastics from fish tissues using a combination of detergents and potassium hydroxide, completing digestion of 100-gram samples within 16 to 24 hours — far quicker than existing multi-day protocols. The technique reliably recovered six common plastic types down to 60-80 micrometers in fatty fish like mackerel and salmon, making routine food safety monitoring more practical.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Improving the efficiency of post-digestion method in extracting microplastics from gastrointestinal tract and gills of fish

Researchers compared three post-digestion techniques for separating microplastics from fish tissue samples and found sieving and zinc chloride density separation both achieved over 95% efficiency without damaging most polymer types. The study provides practical guidance for improving the accuracy of microplastic detection in marine biological samples.

2020 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

A rapid method for extracting microplastics from oily food samples

Researchers developed a rapid method for extracting microplastics from oily food samples, addressing a key challenge for detecting plastic contamination in foods like fish that contain high fat content. Standardized extraction methods for oily food matrices are needed to accurately assess dietary microplastic exposure.

2022 Analytical Methods 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish from a natural estuarine environment

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial fish caught from a natural estuarine environment and found microplastics in a significant proportion of individuals, documenting both occurrence rates and particle characteristics.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 586 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

Development of a fast and efficient method to analyze microplastics in planktonic samples

Researchers compared three digestion treatments — alkaline potassium hydroxide, enzymatic, and a novel method — for analyzing microplastics in planktonic samples, evaluating their efficiency and impact on microplastic particle integrity to help establish consensus protocols.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tract of some species of caught fish from Oman Sea

Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of fish species sampled from marine environments, documenting plastic ingestion across multiple species. The study contributes to the growing evidence base on microplastic contamination in commercially important fish.

2019 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics Found in The Gastrointestinal Tract of Commercial Marine Fish from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Researchers analyzed microplastic abundance and characteristics in the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial marine fish from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, providing the first data on seafood microplastic contamination from one of the country's major fisheries production centers.

2023 SQUALEN Bulletin of Marine and Fisheries Postharvest and Biotechnology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Anthropogenic Particles in Fish Stomachs: An Isolation Method Adapted to Identification by Raman Spectroscopy

This study developed a method for separating anthropogenic particles — including microplastics — from bulk fish stomach contents using an adapted protocol, improving the efficiency of visual examination. The approach aims to reduce misidentification errors that occur when relying solely on color, size, and shape to distinguish plastic from organic matter.

2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 285 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation and optimisation of sample preparation protocols suitable for the analysis of plastic particles present in seafood

Ten digestion protocols for extracting microplastics from seafood were compared across a broad range of species, evaluating their ability to fully digest tissue without damaging polymer integrity, providing a basis for selecting suitable methods for human exposure assessment.

2021 Food Control 37 citations