title: Isolation of microplastics in biota-rich seawater samples and marine organisms.
abstract: Microplastic litter is a pervasive pollutant present in aquatic systems across the globe. A range of marine organisms have the capacity to ingest microplastics, resulting in adverse health effects. Developing methods to accurately quantify microplastics in productive marine waters, and those internalized by marine organisms, is of growing importance. Here we investigate the efficacy of using acid, alkaline and enzymatic digestion techniques in mineralizing biological material from marine surface trawls to reveal any microplastics present. Our optimized enzymatic protocol can digest >97% (by weight) of the material present in plankton-rich seawater samples without destroying any microplastic debris present. In applying the method to replicate marine samples from the western English Channel, we identified 0.27 microplastics m(-3). The protocol was further used to extract microplastics ingested by marine zooplankton under laboratory conditions. Our findings illustrate that enzymatic digestion can aid the detection of microplastic debris within seawater samples and marine biota.
authors.affiliation: 1] Plankton Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK [2] College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: Plankton Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
authors.forename: Pennie K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lindeque
authors.affiliation: Plankton Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
authors.forename: Elaine S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Fileman
authors.affiliation: Akvaplan-niva AS, FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halsband
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Tamara S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Galloway
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry*; D058448:Biota; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical