Limits of the detection of microplastics in fish tissue using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy
Moritz Floess, Marie Fagotto-Kaufmann, Andrea Gall, Tobias Steinle, Ingrid Ehrlich, Harald Gießen
Abstract
We demonstrate the detection sensitivity of microplastic beads within fish tissue using stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy. The intrinsically provided chemical contrast distinguishes different types of plastic compounds within fish tissue. We study the size-dependent signal-to-noise ratio of the microplastic beads and determine a lower boundary for the detectable size. Our findings demonstrate how SRS microscopy can serve as a complementary modality to conventional Raman scattering imaging in order to detect and identify microplastic particles in fish tissue.
Topics & Concepts
MicroplasticsMicroscopyRaman scatteringRaman spectroscopyMaterials scienceFish <Actinopterygii>OpticsOptical microscopeFluorescence microscopeScatteringFluorescenceChemistryScanning electron microscopeBiologyEnvironmental chemistryComposite materialPhysicsFisherySpectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical ResearchBiosensors and Analytical DetectionMicroplastics and Plastic Pollution