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A critical review of microplastics characterisation in aquatic environments: recent trends in the last 10 years
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This critical review assessed current approaches to characterizing microplastics in aquatic environments, evaluating sampling methods, extraction protocols, and analytical techniques. It identified persistent inconsistencies in methodology and recommended standardization practices to improve data comparability.
Anthropogenic activities have introduced various contaminants into freshwater and marine ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs) are persistent and ubiquitous contaminants threatening natural ecosystems and impairing organisms at different biological levels of organization. Their durability and degradation rate pose a great concern in the scientific community, and thus, several techniques have been used to detect MPs effectively. The present study critically reviews the most commonly used techniques (FTIR, Raman, and fluorescence) and others considered novel regarding MP detection and characterisation, namely LIBS. Despite the effectiveness of such methodologies, none are free from drawbacks. The scientific community must join efforts to create, for example, innovative real-time (bio)sensing methodologies for MPs to overcome this gap.
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This review critically evaluates methods used to measure microplastics in aquatic environments, covering sampling design, sample processing, and spectroscopic identification, and identifies the most significant sources of methodological variation. Standardizing these methods is essential for generating comparable data across studies and enabling robust environmental risk assessment.
Analysis and characterisation of microplastics in marine environment
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This review examined the methods used to analyze and characterize microplastics in marine environments, covering sampling approaches, extraction protocols, and identification techniques. Researchers identified significant variability across studies and called for greater harmonization of methods to improve data comparability. The review provides a practical overview for researchers entering the field and highlights the technical challenges that must be addressed to generate reliable marine microplastic data.
Recent advances in the analysis methodologies for microplastics in aquatic organisms: current knowledge and research challenges
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This review examines recent advances in analytical methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics in aquatic organisms, identifying key sources of variability across studies and outlining research challenges needed to improve comparability and standardization.
Disparities in Methods Used to Determine Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: A Review of Legislation, Sampling Process and Instrumental Analysis
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This review examined the wide disparities in sampling, processing, and analytical methods used across microplastic studies, highlighting how inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and calling for standardized international protocols and regulatory frameworks.
A Review of Analytical Methods Used in Microplastics Quantification
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This review evaluates the various analytical methods used to detect and quantify microplastics in the environment, highlighting inconsistencies in sampling and analysis across studies. Standardizing methods is a critical priority for the field, as inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and track pollution trends over time.
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