A Rapid Method for Screening Microplastic in Seafood Using Nile Red (NR) and Fluorescence Preceding Spectroscopic Polymer Analysis

MARIANA GONZALEZ; MARIA SOLEDAD ISLAS; FRANCESCA MARIA MITTON; MAURICIO DÍAZ JARAMILLO

Chemical Food Contaminants Analysis

Springer

Año: 2024; p. 263 - 274

Microplastic analysis in seafood is challenging in terms of size, quality assurance, and time-consuming efforts. In this chapter, we describe a rapid and simple method for analyzing microplastics (0.02 - 5 mm) in seafood tissues. The procedure involves alkaline digestion, a single filtration step and further visual screening of potential microplastics by means of nile red staining and analysis under stereo microscopeusing a fluorescent lamp (450 nm excitation - 500 nm emission) as an initial step preceding the spectroscopic identification of polymer structure.