Microplastics are generally defined as plastic particles with a length between 1 μm and 5 mm, and nanoplastics are generally defined as plastic particles with a length less than 1 μm. Microplastics have been recognized as a global environmental threat and a potential health hazard to humans. Humans are being exposed to microplastics directly from the environment and through food sources; these particles have been found in water, sediment, animals, and even human excrement. Fish caught in the wild have been found with microplastics in their livers, intestines, and gills. The potential health effects caused by the ingestion of these particles to humans are unknown. To determine whether microplastics persist in mammals after oral ingestion, a mouse study was undertaken. The study included three groups of mice that ingested spherical polystyrene beads containing a fluorophore: two groups were fed microplastic beads and the third group was fed nanoplastic beads. Three different sizes of beads were tested in this study to determine whether one size was more susceptible to persistence in the animals. Histological sections of the livers, spleens, and kidneys were evaluated using microscopy. Additionally, portions of the livers, gastrointestinal tracts, and kidneys were digested to separate the beads from the tissue to quantify the number of beads remaining in the animals after ingestion. The extracted beads were dissolved in 2-ethoxyethyl acetate to allow the fluorophores to be measured quantitatively using a spectrofluorometer. The autofluorescence of the tissue must be nearly nonexistent for the quantification to be accurate. Various digestion protocols exist in the literature; however, these methods were developed with a focus on how they affected the plastic particles rather than how the tissue itself was affected. Residual autofluorescence from tissues required the development of a more complete digestion protocol than those currently published in the literature.

Analyzing and quantifying the pervasiveness of microplastic beads in mouse livers, spleens, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys after oral ingestion

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.