SciPi 770: Best Practices: Detecting and Quantifying Micro- Nanoplastics (MNP) in Biological Tissues
What analytical methods are available and appropriate for biological tissue? Do these methods need to be adjusted for the tissue and what artifacts may result?
Results
(8 Answers)
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Expert 9
I think the paper identifies the available methods accurately. It also identifies the potential issues with each. To ensure accurate measurement of the full range of MNPs present in a given biological tissue sample, it should - wherever possible - be recommended to use multiple approaches. For example, Py-GC-MS should be supplemented by Raman to ensure accurate measurement of PE and PVC MNPs. Where doubt exists about the performance of a given method, then matrix spikes can help evaluate the severity of any matrix effects. -
Expert 3
Microscopy, (u)FTIR, (u)Raman, LDIR, py-GC/MS, TED-GC-MS and mass spectrometric (e.g., MALDI-ToF) methods can all be used, but some adjustments may be needed. For example, some tissues, such as liver, have a high lipid content, that may require use of solvents or harsher digestion methods prior to analysis; for muscle tissue, enzymatic digestion may be more appropriate. Artifacts include spectral interference and polymer degradation, mostly. -
Expert 4
Three analytical methods are mentioned in Table 1. It depends on the plastics of interest and the biological tissue of interest which (combination) of these methods are suited for a particular sample. Some additional methods have been mentioned before, like NMR, TGA, Mass Spectrometry, DSC. It is to be expected that for the specific case of biological tissues, most of these methods will often be less suited. -
Expert 2
For the analysis of biological tissues methods that could preserve the structure and biochemical integrity while also providing a detailed assessment are needed. The choice of the analytical method is strongly depended on the tissue type, the resolution or sensitivity required and also about the information that you are trying to obtain. -
Expert 1
Pyrolysis GCMS is a valuable approach and mass spec based methods can be enhanced for biological tissue analysis. Yes, sample preparation techniques need to be optimized for various sample types. More research is needed in this area. -
Expert 8
spectroscopy methods like (uFTIR and uRaman), py-GCMS are available and appropriate. Yes, all methods need to be adjusted for the chosen tissue. Overloading, coating of particles or confusion between natural polyamides and nylons are very possible with uFTIR. Biological components will produce the same marker compounds as PVC in py-GCMS. -
Expert 6
NMR, DSC, microscopic with spectroscopy capability, ICP-MS, GPC, and even GPC-pyrolysis-GC/MS (ideal, not readily available). -
Expert 7
There are several analytical methods available for detecting and quantifying MNPs in biological tissues, and they do need to be adjusted based on the tissues and the polymers.
Available methods are Py-GC/MS, FT-IR, Raman, SEM/TEM, Microfluidic and Biosensor Platforms.
Experts generally agree that multiple analytical methods are available for analyzing microplastics in biological tissues, with the most frequently mentioned being Py-GC-MS, FTIR (including μFTIR), and Raman spectroscopy (including μRaman).
There is consensus that methods need to be adjusted based on specific tissue types. Expert 3 notes that "liver, with high lipid content, may require solvents or harsher digestion methods" while "enzymatic digestion may be more appropriate for muscle tissue." Expert 8 warns of specific artifacts including "overloading, coating of particles or confusion between natural polyamides and nylons" with μFTIR.
Several experts (9, 3, 8) emphasize potential artifacts and limitations of individual methods. Expert 9 recommends using multiple approaches to ensure accurate measurements, suggesting "Py-GC-MS should be supplemented by Raman" for certain polymers.
Additional methods mentioned by some experts include NMR, DSC, TGA, Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-ToF), SEM/TEM, and microfluidic/biosensor platforms, though Expert 4 cautions that many of these may be "less suited" for biological tissues.
Expert 4
07/31/2025 05:51Expert 2
07/31/2025 07:26Expert 5
08/01/2025 08:45