TY - JOUR

T1 - An efficient and gentle enzymatic digestion protocol for the extraction of microplastics from bivalve tissue

AU - von Friesen, Lisa W.

AU - Granberg, Maria E.

AU - Hassellöv, Martin

AU - Gabrielsen, Geir W.

AU - Magnusson, Kerstin

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Standardized methods for the digestion of biota for microplastic analysis are currently lacking. Chemical methods can be effective, but can also cause damage to some polymers. Enzymatic methods are known to be gentler, but often laborious, expensive and time consuming. A novel tissue digestion method with pancreatic enzymes and a pH buffer (Tris) is here presented in a comparison to a commonly applied digestion protocol with potassium hydroxide. The novel protocol demonstrates a highly efficient removal of bivalve tissue (97.7 ± 0.2% dry weight loss) already over-night. Furthermore, it induces no impairment in terms of ability to correctly identify four pre-weathered plastic polymers and six textile fiber polymers by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy after exposure. The high-throughput protocol requires minimal handling, is of low cost and does not pose risk to the performer or the environment. It is therefore suggested as a candidate for a standardized digestion protocol, enabling successful analysis of microplastics ingested by bivalves.

AB - Standardized methods for the digestion of biota for microplastic analysis are currently lacking. Chemical methods can be effective, but can also cause damage to some polymers. Enzymatic methods are known to be gentler, but often laborious, expensive and time consuming. A novel tissue digestion method with pancreatic enzymes and a pH buffer (Tris) is here presented in a comparison to a commonly applied digestion protocol with potassium hydroxide. The novel protocol demonstrates a highly efficient removal of bivalve tissue (97.7 ± 0.2% dry weight loss) already over-night. Furthermore, it induces no impairment in terms of ability to correctly identify four pre-weathered plastic polymers and six textile fiber polymers by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy after exposure. The high-throughput protocol requires minimal handling, is of low cost and does not pose risk to the performer or the environment. It is therefore suggested as a candidate for a standardized digestion protocol, enabling successful analysis of microplastics ingested by bivalves.

KW - Emerging pollutants

KW - Enzymatic digestion protocol

KW - KOH

KW - Microplastics

KW - Pancreatic enzymes

KW - Tissue digestion

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.016

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.016

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31232285

AN - SCOPUS:85063101106

VL - 142

SP - 129

EP - 134

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

SN - 0025-326X

ER -