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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
Data Collection on Marine Litter Ingestion in Sea Turtles and Thresholds for Good Environmental Status
Published on: May 18, 2019
Protocol optimization for microplastic analysis in sea turtles: Including the first blood digestion method
Giulia de Andrade Lima Bertotti1, Geraldo Jorge Barbosa de Moura2, Gabriela Uchôa Souza de Medeiros2
1Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), CEP 52171-900, Recife, Brazil.
This study developed a new two-step digestion method to extract microplastics from sea turtle tissues, including blood. This standardized protocol aids in understanding microplastic bioaccumulation and maternal transfer in marine reptiles.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Sea turtles face significant risks from microplastic bioaccumulation due to their life history traits.
- Existing methods for microplastic extraction from complex biological samples like sea turtle tissues are not standardized.
- Understanding microplastic contamination requires reliable analytical techniques for various tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a standardized, reproducible two-step digestion protocol for microplastic extraction from diverse sea turtle tissues.
- To assess the efficiency of the protocol in different tissue types, including blood, yolk sac, liver, kidney, muscle, and gonadal tissues.
- To establish a baseline methodology for future research on microplastic contamination and maternal transfer in marine reptiles.
Main Methods:
- A two-step digestion protocol using 10% KOH followed by 30% H2O2 oxidation was optimized.
- The protocol was applied to various sea turtle tissues (blood, yolk sac, liver, kidney, muscle, gonads) from reproductive females and stranded individuals.
- Microplastic recovery rates were calculated, and preliminary physical characterization was performed.
Main Results:
- The optimized two-step digestion protocol effectively removed organic residues from all tested tissues.
- High microplastic recovery rates were achieved: 83.5% for blood, 73.1% for yolk sac, 75.4% for liver, 70.9% for kidney, and 82.0% for muscle.
- The protocol demonstrated applicability across multiple tissue types, including a validated method for blood.
Conclusions:
- A standardized and reproducible chemical digestion protocol for microplastic extraction from multiple sea turtle tissues, including blood, has been established.
- This methodological framework provides a reliable tool for future studies on microplastic bioaccumulation and maternal transfer in marine reptiles.
- The findings contribute to a better understanding of the environmental impact of microplastics on sea turtle populations.
