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Chemometric analysis of polymer spectra for degradation assessment and enhanced identification of macro, meso and microplastics
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Scientists tested ways to identify weathered plastic fragments and pellets, focusing on two common ocean plastics, polyethylene and polypropylene. They developed tools to measure plastic breakdown and used computer classification methods to better distinguish plastic types from spectroscopy data, aiming to improve identification when plastic samples are heavily degraded.
Marine environmental conditions and the weathering undergone by plastic samples, turn plastic identification into a challenge. Several analytical methodologies, such as Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) have been employed for this purpose. However, these techniques remain insufficient when degradation is highly advanced.,This study specifically focuses on plastic fragments and pellets, analyzing the most abundant polymers in the marine debris: polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). To improve identification under conditions of advanced degradation and oxidation, analytical tools for post-processing were developed. To this end, the calculation of the carbonyl index was simplified and automated, given its role as an indicator of weathering. Furthermore, its relationship with other parameters associated with degradation and plastic identification, such as the yellowness index and the coincidence match, was thoroughly evaluated.,Classification algorithms, specifically Logistic Regression, Random Forest and Support Vector Machine, were implemented to enhance the discrimination of plastic types, while spectral analysis focusing on characteristic peak features was conducted to improve the accuracy and reliability of polymer identification.
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Impact of weathering on the chemical identification of microplastics from usual packaging polymers in the marine environment
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The impact of environmental weathering on the chemical identification of common microplastics was investigated, examining how UV radiation, mechanical abrasion, and microbial activity alter the spectroscopic signatures used for polymer identification. Weathered plastics were harder to correctly identify than pristine ones, highlighting the need for reference libraries that include aged material.
Polymer weathering under simulated solar radiation and comparison to stormwater and estuarine microplastics
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Researchers weathered polyethylene and polypropylene plastics under simulated sunlight in water for 90 days and compared their spectral changes to those found in environmental microplastics from stormwater and estuaries. They found that polypropylene degraded faster than polyethylene and that spectral databases had difficulty accurately identifying heavily weathered plastics. The study highlights challenges in identifying and age-dating microplastics found in the environment.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.