Iodine-131 radiolabeled polyvinylchloride: A potential radiotracer for micro and nanoplastics bioaccumulation and biodistribution study in organisms

The microplastics amount in the environment is significantly increasing due to human activity, and the hazards are still being investigated. To evaluate the fate of microplastics in organisms, an accurate, fast, and sensitive method is required. Nuclear technology harnessing radiotracer is one of the most sensitive and accurate method for bioaccumulation, biodistribution and biokinetic study. Here, we developed a preparation method for radioiodinated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as a potential radiotracer of microplastics. Iodine-131 (131I) as a potential radiotracer for microplastic was used in this experiment (activity of 98.05–221.63 MBq). The 131I-PVC was prepared using the Conant-Finkelstein reaction with a solvent combination of phosphate buffer (B), acetone (A), and tetrahydrofuran (T). Such preparation method resulted in spherical 131I-PVC with sizes ranging from 608.6 to 5457.0 nm. Our study showed that acetone is the most suitable solvent for the radioiodination process, resulting in a stable 131I-PVC for up to six days.