Development and optimisation of a standard method for extraction of microplastics in mussels by enzyme digestion of soft tissues

Ana Isabel dos Ramos Catarino, Richard Thompson, William Sanderson, Theodore B Henry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

240 Citations (Scopus)
537 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The authors compared procedures for digestion of mussel soft tissues and extraction of microplastics. Complete tissue digestion was achieved with 1M NaOH, 35% HNO3, and protease at 9.6 UHb/mL (unit hemoglobin per mL); but use of HNO3 caused unacceptable destruction of some microplastics. Recovery of microplastics spiked into mussels was similar (93 ± 10%) for NaOH and
enzyme digestions. The authors recommend use of industrial enzymes based on digestion efficiency, microplastic recovery, and avoidance of caustic chemicals.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)947–951
Number of pages5
JournalEnvironmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Volume36
Issue number4
Early online date1 Sept 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2017

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