Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples
The most frequently used method to quantify microplastics (MPs) visually by microscope is time consuming and labour intensive, where the method is also hindered by the size limitation at 10 µm or even higher. A method is proposed to perform pre-concentration of MPs by vacuum filtration, hydrogen per...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/9/1436 |
| _version_ | 1797502431582486528 |
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| author | Yuet-Tung Tse Hoi-Shing Lo Sidney Man-Ngai Chan Eric Tung-Po Sze |
| author_facet | Yuet-Tung Tse Hoi-Shing Lo Sidney Man-Ngai Chan Eric Tung-Po Sze |
| author_sort | Yuet-Tung Tse |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The most frequently used method to quantify microplastics (MPs) visually by microscope is time consuming and labour intensive, where the method is also hindered by the size limitation at 10 µm or even higher. A method is proposed to perform pre-concentration of MPs by vacuum filtration, hydrogen peroxide wet digestion, fluorescent staining and flow cytometric determination to rapidly detect and quantify small MPs sized from 1–50 µm. The method performance was evaluated by the spiking of seven different types of polymer, including polystyrene (PS), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) at different levels (400, 4000, 40,000 particles mL<sup>−1</sup>), with a satisfactory overall % recoveries (101 ± 19.4%) observed, where in general no significant difference between the two methods was observed. Furthermore, a pre-concentration process by vacuum filtration was introduced to reduce the matrix effect. After pre-concentration, satisfactory % recoveries and accuracy in MP counts resulted from both ultrapure water (94.33 ± 11.16%) and sea water (103.17 ± 9.50%) samples. The validated method using flow cytometry can be used to quantify MPs in environmental water samples that can reduce time and human resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:33:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2ac025e797f44072a2c78dc89ad9028a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:33:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-2ac025e797f44072a2c78dc89ad9028a2023-11-23T09:35:45ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-04-01149143610.3390/w14091436Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water SamplesYuet-Tung Tse0Hoi-Shing Lo1Sidney Man-Ngai Chan2Eric Tung-Po Sze3School of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, SwedenSchool of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaThe most frequently used method to quantify microplastics (MPs) visually by microscope is time consuming and labour intensive, where the method is also hindered by the size limitation at 10 µm or even higher. A method is proposed to perform pre-concentration of MPs by vacuum filtration, hydrogen peroxide wet digestion, fluorescent staining and flow cytometric determination to rapidly detect and quantify small MPs sized from 1–50 µm. The method performance was evaluated by the spiking of seven different types of polymer, including polystyrene (PS), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) at different levels (400, 4000, 40,000 particles mL<sup>−1</sup>), with a satisfactory overall % recoveries (101 ± 19.4%) observed, where in general no significant difference between the two methods was observed. Furthermore, a pre-concentration process by vacuum filtration was introduced to reduce the matrix effect. After pre-concentration, satisfactory % recoveries and accuracy in MP counts resulted from both ultrapure water (94.33 ± 11.16%) and sea water (103.17 ± 9.50%) samples. The validated method using flow cytometry can be used to quantify MPs in environmental water samples that can reduce time and human resources.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/9/1436microplasticsflow cytometryNile red fluorescence stainingvisual identification |
| spellingShingle | Yuet-Tung Tse Hoi-Shing Lo Sidney Man-Ngai Chan Eric Tung-Po Sze Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples Water microplastics flow cytometry Nile red fluorescence staining visual identification |
| title | Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples |
| title_full | Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples |
| title_fullStr | Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples |
| title_short | Flow Cytometry as a Rapid Alternative to Quantify Small Microplastics in Environmental Water Samples |
| title_sort | flow cytometry as a rapid alternative to quantify small microplastics in environmental water samples |
| topic | microplastics flow cytometry Nile red fluorescence staining visual identification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/9/1436 |
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