In vivo sampling of environmental organic contaminants in fish by solid-phase microextraction

Accumulation, fate and tissue distribution of environmental pharmaceuticals and personal-care products in exposed fish is an emerging area of research that has benefitted from recent advances in in vivo sampling, such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME). This review summarizes recent challenges and solutions associated with the application of in vivo SPME in freely moving fish, including questions of invasiveness, sequential sampling of individual fish, calibration methods, and interpretation of data and their ecotoxicological relevance. We also examine spatial and temporal resolution and associated technical parameters, such as sampling time and dimensions of the SPME probe. Relative to other in vivo sampling techniques, such as microdialysis, in vivo tissue collection or biosensors, SPME has distinct advantages in its simplicity and its ability to sample simultaneously various tissues and locations in a single fish in a relatively non-invasive, timely and cost-effective manner. Finally, we identify the challenges and the opportunities for in vivo monitoring of endogenous compounds by SPME, which could enable this approach to make a significant contribution to the burgeoning field of metabolomics.

► In vivo sampling of freely moving fish by solid-phase microextraction (SPME).
► Challenges to quantitative analysis of environmental pharmaceuticals were addressed.
► In vivo microdialysis, tissue collection and biosensors were compared with SPME.