Advancing Microplastic Detection in Zebrafish with Micro Computed Tomography: A Novel Approach to Revealing Microplastic Accumulation in Organisms.

This dataset includes data from X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT), which is used for non-destructive 3D imaging of microplastics in biological tissues, specifically zebrafish. Traditional spectroscopic and pyrolytic methods struggle to provide detailed spatial information, limiting the understanding of microplastic impacts on living organisms.

In this study, fish tissues spiked with polyethylene microplastics were analyzed. MicroCT results for particle size distribution closely matched those from laser diffraction size analysis, demonstrating its reliability. Additionally, microCT allowed for 3D visualization of microplastics in tissues, offering spatial detail beyond what 2D methods can achieve.

Data components include:

3D MicroCT Imaging of reference samples: Shows spatial distribution and polyethylene particle sizes in agarose gel.

Laser Diffraction Data: Particle sizer data - validates particle size findings.

Spiked Tissue Analysis: Demonstrates microCT’s detection capabilities in biological matrices - Zebrafish and extracted guts from zebrafish bith spiked with polyethylene microplastics. 

This dataset highlights microCT as a promising tool for future non-invasive microplastic research, with potential applications in human health studies.