Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42595920›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental monitoring and assessment2026

Refined analysis of microplastics in endemic fish species from Lake Victoria using µ-FTIR and pyrolysis GC-MS.

Timothy Omara, Barbora Benetková, Ivan Sumerskii, Patrick Ssebugere, Christine Kyarimpa, Solomon Omwoma Lugasi, Thomas Rosenau, Christine Betty Nagawa, Stefan Böhmdorfer

Abstract read
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Article in Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Timothy OmaraInstitute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources, Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources, BOKU University, Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
Barbora BenetkováInstitute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources, Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources, BOKU University, Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
Ivan SumerskiiCore Facility Analysis of Lignocellulosics (ALICE), BOKU University, Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
Patrick SsebugereDepartment of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
Christine KyarimpaDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kampala, Uganda.
Solomon Omwoma LugasiDepartment of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya.
Thomas RosenauInstitute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources, Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources, BOKU University, Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
Christine Betty NagawaDepartment of Forestry, Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
Stefan BöhmdorferInstitute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources, Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources, BOKU University, Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria. stefan.boehmdorfer@boku.ac.at.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1400-3395

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS) has evolved into one of the most powerful methods for microplastics (MPs) analysis. However, analytical challenges are still encountered whenever Pyr-GC-MS is applied to matrices with high organic matter, protein and lipid contents. In this study, a workflow integrating stereomicroscopy, micro-Fourier transform infrared (µ-FTIR) spectroscopy and Pyr-GC-MS was extended to analyse MPs in three endemic fish species (Protopterus aethiopicus, Rastrineobola argentea and Synodontis victoriae) from Lake Victoria. Stereomicroscopic analysis only detected MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts of P. aethiopicus and S. victoriae, with the highest mean particle numbers being 16.0 ± 7.8 and 14.7 ± 6.7 items/fish taxon, respectively. No MPs were found in whole samples of R. argentea. The microparticles were mostly blue and brown 0.3-1.9-mm fragments and filaments, which µ-FTIR analysis confirmed to be composed of nylon 66, nylon 6/66, nylon 6/10, nylon 11, polyethylene and polypropylene. Retention time locking and post-column backflush considerably reduced the cycle time and increased stability of the Pyr-GC-MS method. Nylon 66 (243 µg/g in S. victoriae), nylon 6 (0.24-96 µg/g), polypropylene (6.4 µg/g in P. aethiopicus), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (1.2-107 µg/g) and styrene-butadiene rubber (8.5-34.8 µg/g) were quantified. Polyethylene and poly(methyl methacrylate) were detected below their limits of quantification. To prevent false positive detection of polyethylene in the lipid-rich tissues, the evaluation focussed on C21-α,ω-alkene as a marker. Polypropylene was not detected in some samples, as it formed several discrete propylene oligomers during pyrolysis, which suppressed the yield of its target quantification marker (2,4-dimethyl-1-heptene).

Indexed as

Environmental MonitoringFishesMicroplasticsWater Pollutants, ChemicalAnimalsGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryLakesPyrolysisSpectroscopy, Fourier Transform InfraredMicroplasticsWater Pollutants, ChemicalBackflushLake VictoriaMicroplasticsNylonProtopterus aethiopicusSynodontis victoriae

Identifiers

PMID42595920
PMCPMC13473337

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.