Improved methodology for microplastic extraction from gastrointestinal tracts of fat fish species

Potassium hydroxide (KOH) digestion protocols are currently applied to separate microplastics from biological samples, allowing efficient digestion with minor degradation of polymers in a time-and cost-effective way. For biota samples with high-fat content, KOH reacts with triglycerides generating an overlying soap layer, making difficult the digestion and solubilization and subsequent microplastics extraction. Here we studied the addition of Tween-20 in different concentrations to evaluate the effect on the soap layer of post-digested samples. Addition of 10 % of Tween-20 presented higher flow rate during filtration, being set as optimal value. Incorporation of Tween-20 in the extraction procedure increased recovery rates of LDPE, PC and PET and appears to have a protective effect on PC and PET degradation. Tween-20 did not interfere in FTIR spectrum of polymers available in the marine environment. Being low-toxic, makes addition of Tween-20 a simple and economical way to optimize KOH digestion protocols for microplastics extraction.

Automated summary

The addition of Tween-20 in the potassium hydroxide (KOH) digestion protocol for separating microplastics from biological samples has been found to increase the flow rate during filtration, enhance the recovery rates of LDPE, PC, and PET, and protect against degradation of PC and PET. This study suggests that adding Tween-20 to the KOH digestion protocol is a simple and economical way to optimize microplastics extraction.