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Microplastic extraction from digestive tracts of large decapods
Katrina Bornt1, Kathryn Linge2, Jason How3
1School of Biological Sciences and the Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
Marine Pollution Bulletin
|July 11, 2024
Summary
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) digestion offers the best method for extracting microplastics from large decapods, ensuring high recovery rates and preserving polymer integrity for accurate contamination assessment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Marine Biology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Accurate microplastic quantification in chitinous organisms is hindered by complex organic and inorganic materials.
- Validated extraction methods are crucial for reliable microplastic analysis in marine fauna.
Purpose of the Study:
- To trial and validate digestion methods for microplastic extraction from large decapod digestive tracts.
- To identify a protocol ensuring reliable microplastic recovery and characterization.
Main Methods:
- Digestive tracts of Panulirus cygnus and Portunus armatus were treated with potassium hydroxide (KOH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and nitric acid (HNO3) digestion methods.
- Polymer recovery, physical morphology, and chemical spectra were analyzed post-digestion.
- Chitin digestion efficiency, matrix clarification, and microplastic recovery were evaluated.
Main Results:
- KOH digestion achieved over 95% recovery for all tested polymers (polyamide, polyethylene, PET, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC) with minimal impact on their integrity.
- Nitric acid-based treatments effectively digested chitin but degraded polyamide and altered other polymers.
- High chitin digestion efficiency did not guarantee high matrix clarification or microplastic recovery in large decapods.
Conclusions:
- Species-specific validation of microplastic extraction methods is essential for accurate contamination assessment in marine invertebrates.
- KOH digestion is recommended for microplastic extraction from large decapods due to superior polymer recovery and integrity.
- Post-digestion protocols like density separation are proposed for complex samples to enhance microplastic analysis.
