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Updated: May 28, 2026
Multimodal Analysis of Microplastics in Drinking Water using a Silicon Nanomembrane Analysis Pipeline
Published on: June 13, 2025
Covalently labeled fluorescence-MRI dual-modal polystyrene microspheres for imaging and analysis of microplastics in
Defu Qian1, Yahong Liu1, Jiawei Song1
1State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Center for Smart Materials, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. dujj@dlut.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The widespread accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the environment and their transfer along food chains pose growing threats to organism health, but MPs' in vivo behaviours remain poorly understood due to the lack of stable and sensitive imaging tools. Herein, we report a robust covalent-labelling strategy for constructing dual-modal polystyrene microspheres (Fl-MRIPSs) for fluorescent and magnetic imaging in biological samples. Two polymerizable functional monomers-a rhodamine dye (RhSt) for fluorescence imaging and a gadolinium complex (DOTASt) for T1-weighted MRI-were rationally designed and chemically incorporated into the polystyrene matrix via emulsion copolymerization. The resulting Fl-MRIPSs exhibit precise size control, uniform morphology, excellent monodispersity, and high colloidal stability. The covalent anchoring minimizes dye and Gd leakage while maintaining high fluorescence quantum yield, remarkable photostability, and strong MRI relaxivity. The Fl-MRIPSs show efficient cellular internalization with negligible cytotoxicity, enable high-contrast fluorescence visualization in zebrafish and mice, and provide significantly enhanced T1-weighted MRI contrast in mouse subcutaneous tissue. This work establishes a generalizable, chemically stable dual-modal labelling platform for MPs, offering a powerful tool for elucidating their transport, biodistribution, and potential health risks in living organisms.
Insights
Researchers developed dual-modal imaging tools called fluorescent and magnetic responsive imaging probes (Fl-MRIPSs) to track microplastics (MPs) in living organisms. This breakthrough allows for better understanding of microplastic transport and health risks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Microplastics (MPs) accumulate in ecosystems and enter food chains, posing risks to organisms.
- Understanding the in vivo behavior of MPs is crucial but limited by the lack of sensitive imaging tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stable and sensitive dual-modal imaging platform for tracking microplastics in biological systems.
- To create fluorescent and magnetic responsive imaging probes (Fl-MRIPSs) for in vivo studies.
Main Methods:
- Chemically incorporated a rhodamine dye (for fluorescence) and a gadolinium complex (for MRI) into polystyrene microspheres via emulsion copolymerization.
- Synthesized dual-modal Fl-MRIPSs with controlled size, morphology, and high colloidal stability.
- Evaluated Fl-MRIPSs for dye/Gd leakage, photostability, MRI relaxivity, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and in vivo imaging performance.
Main Results:
- Fl-MRIPSs demonstrated minimal leakage, high fluorescence quantum yield, photostability, and MRI relaxivity.
- Efficient cellular internalization and negligible cytotoxicity were observed.
- High-contrast fluorescence imaging was achieved in zebrafish and mice.
- Significant enhancement in T1-weighted MRI contrast was observed in mouse subcutaneous tissue.
Conclusions:
- A generalizable and chemically stable dual-modal labeling platform for microplastics was established.
- Fl-MRIPSs provide a powerful tool for elucidating microplastic transport, biodistribution, and health risks in vivo.
- This technology advances the study of environmental contaminants in biological systems.
