/pdf/quality-assessment-of-research-studies-on-microplastics-in-3nc72vea.pdf

Quality assessment of research studies on microplastics in soils: A methodological perspective.

Standardizing microplastics used for establishing recovery efficiency when assessing microplastics in environmental samples.

Abstract One of the biggest issues in microplastic (MP, plastic items &lt;5 mm) research is the lack of standardisation and harmonisation in all fields, reaching from sampling methodology to sample purification, analytical methods and data analysis. This hampers comparability as well as reproducibility among studies. Concerning chemical analysis of MPs, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscocopy is one of the most powerful tools. Here, focal plane array (FPA) based micro-FTIR (µFTIR) imaging allows for rapid measurement and identification without manual preselection of putative MP and therefore enables large sample throughputs with high spatial resolution. The resulting huge datasets necessitate automated algorithms for data analysis in a reasonable time frame. Although solutions are available, little is known about the comparability or the level of reliability of their output. For the first time, within our study, we compare two well-established and frequently applied data analysis algorithms in regard to results in abundance, polymer composition and size distributions of MP (11–500 µm) derived from selected environmental water samples: (a) the siMPle analysis tool (systematic identification of MicroPlastics in the environment) in combination with MPAPP (MicroPlastic Automated Particle/fibre analysis Pipeline) and (b) the BPF (Bayreuth Particle Finder). The results of our comparison show an overall good accordance but also indicate discrepancies concerning certain polymer types/clusters as well as the smallest MP size classes. Our study further demonstrates that a detailed comparison of MP algorithms is an essential prerequisite for a better comparability of MP data. 

/pdf/comparison-of-two-rapid-automated-analysis-tools-for-large-3omh0o56.pdf

Comparison of two rapid automated analysis tools for large FTIR microplastic datasets

Internal interaction between chemically-pretreated polypropylene microplastics and floc growth during flocculation: Critical effect on floc properties and flocculation mechanisms

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that are less than 5 mm in size and can be found in most environments, including the oceans, rivers, and air. These small plastic particles can have negative impacts on wildlife and the environment. In this review of the literature, we analyze the presence of microplastics in various species of wildlife, including fish, birds, and mammals. We describe a variety of analytical techniques, such as microscopy and spectrometry, which identify and quantify the microplastics in the samples. In addition, techniques of sample preparation are discussed. Summary results show that microplastics are present in all the wildlife species studied, with the highest concentrations often found in fish and birds. The literature suggests that microplastics are widely distributed in the environment and have the potential to affect a wide range of species. Further research is required to fully understand the impacts of microplastics on wildlife and the environment. 

/pdf/microplastic-pollution-chemical-characterization-and-impact-2m7cdoa2.pdf

Judit Háhn

Papers

Validation of microplastic sample preparation method for freshwater samples.