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Closing the Millimetric Sampling Gap Through a Portable Modular Microplastic Fractionation Platform
Summary
Scientists have built a new portable filter that can reliably catch a size of microplastic pieces (1-5mm, roughly grain-of-rice to pea-sized) that previous tools often missed in water testing. In lab tests, it captured over 99% of these plastic particles while letting other debris pass through, meaning researchers can now get a more complete and accurate picture of how much plastic pollution is actually in our water. This matters because better detection tools are a key first step toward understanding — and eventually reducing — the microplastics that end up in the water we drink and the fish we eat.
ABSTRACT: Accurate quantification of millimetric-range microplastics in aquatic environments remains a methodological challenge, with particles in the 1–5 mm interval frequently underrepresented due to limited field-deployable fractionation tools. This study presents the design, hydrodynamic configuration, and laboratory validation of the FC5 modular microplastic fractionation device, a compact portable device for selective isolation of millimetric-range particles from liquid matrices. Performance was evaluated across five experimentally distinct matrices representing aquatic and engineered water systems. The test matrices included clean mixed-plastic suspensions, mineral turbidity, organic fouling, combined particulate stress, and extreme particulate loading. System performance was assessed using three principal metrics: separation efficiency, recovery efficiency, and processing time. The FC5 achieved mean separation efficiencies of 99.17–100% and recovery efficiencies of 93.93–99.17% across a cumulative dataset of 660 polypropylene particles, with coefficients of variation below 1.46% indicating high reproducibility. Processing time remained stable under realistic conditions, with increased flow resistance only under extreme loading scenarios. The majority of non-target particulate matter passed selectively through the outlet stream across all matrices, confirming size-specific fractionation. As a modular extension of a previously validated fine-fraction sampling device, FC5 enables size-resolved microplastic collection within the 1–5 mm range. This integrated architecture supports harmonized microplastic monitoring across the full particle size spectrum, applicable to a wide range of aquatic and industrial environments.