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Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris
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A high-performance protocol for extraction of microplastics in fish.

Ali Karami1, Abolfazl Golieskardi1, Cheng Keong Choo2

  • 1Laboratory of Aquatic Toxicology, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.

The Science of the Total Environment
|November 13, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Optimizing microplastic extraction from fish requires careful selection of digesting solutions and temperatures. A 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution at 40°C efficiently digests biological tissues without damaging microplastics, offering a cost-effective method.

Keywords:
AcidBaseFishIsolationMicroplasticOxidative agent

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Marine Biology

Background:

  • Microplastic (MP) extraction from biological samples is crucial for environmental monitoring.
  • Existing digestion methods lack systematic evaluation of temperature effects on efficiency and polymer integrity.
  • A standardized, effective method for MP isolation from fish is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically investigate the efficiency of various digesting solutions at different temperatures for microplastic extraction from fish tissues.
  • To evaluate the compatibility of effective digestion methods with common plastic polymers.
  • To identify an optimal, cost-effective protocol for microplastic isolation from whole fish samples.

Main Methods:

  • Digestion efficiency of oxidative agents (NaClO, H2O2), bases (NaOH, KOH), and acids (HCl, HNO3) were tested at various temperatures (25-60°C) on fish tissue.
  • Effective digestion treatments were assessed for polymer recovery, Raman spectroscopy, and morphological changes on eight major plastic types.
  • Optimized conditions involved a 10% KOH solution at 40°C, followed by NaI extraction.

Main Results:

  • NaClO, NaOH, and diluted acids showed poor digestion efficiency across all tested temperatures.
  • Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at 50°C was effective but affected nylon and PET integrity.
  • Concentrated acids (HCl, HNO3) at room temperature degraded specific polymers.
  • Potassium hydroxide (KOH) at 50-60°C degraded PET and PVC, and altered NY66.
  • 10% KOH at 40°C demonstrated high digestion efficiency with no impact on polymer integrity.

Conclusions:

  • A 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution at 40°C is an efficient, cost-effective method for digesting fish tissues for microplastic analysis.
  • This optimized KOH digestion method preserves the integrity of various plastic polymers.
  • Combining 10% KOH digestion at 40°C with NaI extraction presents a promising protocol for microplastic isolation from whole fish.