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Fully quantitative analysis of nano-plastics in environmental samples using TD-PTR-MS and multivariate standard addition
Summary
This study developed a fully quantitative method for analyzing nanoplastics in environmental samples using thermal desorption pyrolysis-GC/MS, addressing the challenge that nanoplastics are often present at low concentrations in complex matrices. The approach advances detection capabilities needed to accurately assess nanoplastic pollution in natural systems.
Nano-plastic (NP) pollution poses potential threats to both ecosystems and human health [1]. So, accurately quantifying NPs in the environment is the first action to this threat. However, due to the limited abundance of NPs, and the complexity of samples such analytical instruments still need to be developed [2-3]. Several analytical techniques were conducted to detect bigger plastic particles, microplastics, in environmental sampling using spectroscopic techniques e.g. chemical imaging [3]. However, thermo-analytical methods coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) are newly emerged analytical tools for the quantification of micro(nano)plastics in environmental samples [3]. A thermal desorption proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (TD-PTR-MS) was proposed by Materic et al [3] for the semi-quantitative analysis of nanoplastics. Our novel approach for NP quantification involves the implementation of a multivariate standard addition (MSA) protocol coupled with TD-PTR-MS, enabling a comprehensive fully quantitative analysis within environmental samples. Additionally, instead of classical signal scoring, for better mathematical isolation/separation of plastic signals from the recorded mixed mass spectra, machine learning, and data mining tools are employed for the extraction of pure nanoplastic signals. The workflow of this research is illustrated in Fig.1. The Environmental samples will be subjected to multivariate standard addition followed by TD-PTR-MS measurements. The recorded data sets will be integrated and nanoplastics signatures will be extracted using non-negative matrix factorization. Finally, a classical MSA plot indicates the exact quantity of each nanoplastic type. The developed method was used to quantify polystyrene particles (r¡ 200 nm) in water samples collected from taps, rivers, canals, ponds, and sand sample playgrounds in the Netherlands. The benefits of the proposed approach are as follows: The method is fully quantitative. The workflow can handle liquid, solid, and filtered air samples. Simultaneous determination of various nanoplastics is possible. Detection limit is in nanogram ranges Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/556363/document