We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Oxidative purification of microplastics in riverine suspended matter samples — Solving the challenge of plant debris removal for microplastic analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
This study developed an oxidative purification method to remove organic matter from riverine suspended sediment samples prior to microplastic analysis, enabling more accurate identification and quantification of plastic particles. The method improved detection sensitivity by reducing interference from natural organic material.
Riverine suspended matter (river-SPM) contains large amounts of natural particles consisting of cellulose and lignin, posing a challenge for microplastic (MPs) analysis. Additionally, organic matter composition under seasonal and discharge-related dynamics varies for each river. Therefore, this study attempted to identify a universally applicable clean-up procedure to remove matrix particles with high organic matter content, mainly plant debris, from the river-SPM samples. This study tested six digestion procedures adapted from existing (ligno)cellulosic digestion/oxidation methods with a river-SPM sample followed by density separation using sodium polytungstate. From these, NaOCl treatment (CL) showed the highest efficiency of organic matter removal, eliminating 96-100 % of the matrix weight. Exposure of tested MPs (in size range of 100-500 μm) in the CL protocol showed no adverse effect on polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Similarly, no detrimental matrix effects were found on 100 μm spherical PS standard particles spiked in the river-SPM. This procedure achieved high recovery rates of tested plastics (92-100 %). In terms of method applicability, the procedure was successfully applied to samples from different seasons containing various matrix concentrations and compositions. Although samples with high amounts of plant debris needed to undergo this procedure twice, only minor alteration of the particle surface and IR spectrum of PS presented and no adverse effect on PP. To further tackle the high and varied concentration of plant-derived matrix in river-SPM samples, a novel sequential oxidation protocol (2DOCL) combining cellulose dissolution, Fenton's oxidation, and NaOCl oxidation was developed, resulting in a more (time) effective and predictable process, demonstrating no severely destructive effect on tested plastics. The sequential digestion protocol can be optimized for certain matrices as applying all steps will not be necessary.
More Papers Like This
Enzymatic Purification of Microplastics in Environmental Samples
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed an enzymatic purification protocol to remove biological material from environmental samples before microplastic analysis, finding it improved the accuracy and reliability of microplastic identification and quantification.
A novel method for organic matter removal from samples containing microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a novel organic matter removal method for wastewater treatment plant sludge samples containing microplastics, demonstrating that the approach is more time- and cost-effective than existing techniques while preserving microplastic integrity for accurate quantification and identification.
Protocol for microplastic pollution monitoring in freshwater ecosystems: Towards a high-throughput sample processing - MICROPLASTREAM
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists developed a standardized high-throughput protocol for processing freshwater microplastic samples, addressing the challenge that freshwater samples contain far more organic matter than seawater. Consistent, efficient processing methods are essential for generating comparable microplastic data across different rivers and lakes.
Method for microplastics extraction from Lake sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a method for extracting microplastics from organic-rich freshwater lake sediments using repeated wet oxidation and density separation. Reliable extraction methods for freshwater sediments are important for understanding how lakes accumulate microplastics transported by rivers.
Identification and quantification of microplastic particles in drinking water treatment sludge as an integrative approach to determine microplastic abundance in a freshwater river
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used drinking water treatment plant sludge as an integrative sampler to estimate microplastic abundance in a freshwater river over extended periods, capturing larger water volumes than conventional net or filtration methods. The approach improves representativeness of microplastic occurrence data in flowing water bodies.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.