A Systematic Review of Chromatographic Methods for the Analysis of Plastic Additives in Fisheries and Aquaculture Products

Microplastic particles have been found in a variety of food commodities, and fisheries and aquaculture products seem to be one of the main contributors to the dietary exposure of microplastics, which are complex mixes of chemicals, containing polymers, plastics additivities, and environmental contaminants. The implications for food safety are not well understood. The lack of simple and efficient analytical techniques for the determination of microplastics as well as their additives in food are some of the challenges. To improve the understanding of the methods available for the determination of plastic additives, a systematic literature review was conducted focusing on methods to determine those plastic additives known for their possible endocrine disruption and/or carcinogenic activity, such as bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol S (BPS), 4- nonylphenol (NP-4), nonylphenol (NP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) in fisheries and aquaculture products. The review aimed to identify the most common extraction and determination methods used for these analytes and assess their efficiency. The findings of this review shed light on the current state of analytical methodologies in this field and provide insights that could inform and guide further research.