Effects of excretion of different sizes of orally ingested microplastics in rats
摘要
This study established a method to analyze microplastics (MPs) in rat feces to evaluate the effects of MP size on their excretion after oral ingestion. Using this method, a high recovery rate (> 80%) was achieved via the addition of an enzymatic digestion step after treatment with potassium hydroxide. With particle sizes ranging from 30 to 200 μm, the fecal excretion rate of MPs was analyzed. Smaller MPs (30 and 50 μm) had a significantly lower excretion rate compared with that of larger MPs (200 μm).