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Laser-based spectroscopic techniques: A novel approach for distinguishing aging processes and types of microplastics
Summary
Researchers applied laser-based spectroscopic techniques as a novel approach to distinguish between different aging processes and plastic types in microplastic particles, addressing the challenge of identifying weathered plastics that have undergone physical and chemical degradation in the environment.
Plastics have become an integral part of our daily lives, influencing sectors such as transport, the urban environment, agriculture, industry and even the fibres of clothing. However, along with their benefits, plastics also pose challenges, such as their degradation. This degradation raises an increasingly serious concern: the formation of microplastics. Microplastics, defined as plastic particles between 1 and 1000 microns, pose a unique challenge due to their persistence, widespread occurrence and environmental impact. Microplastics are subject to aging processes that include biotic factors, such as microbial colonisation and enzymatic degradation, and abiotic factors, such as photodegradation induced by sunlight and mechanical abrasion. These aging mechanisms affect the properties of microplastics. Laser- induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a spectroscopic technique that works by creating a plasma plume through the interaction of a laser with matter. This interaction causes atoms and ions to become excited and emit photons of a particular energy as they transition to lower energy levels. The emitted light is then collected by collecting optics before being sent to a spectrometer. Unique spectral lines allow the identification of the elements present in the sample. This method is widely used to differentiate and map microplastics. Raman spectroscopy uses monochromatic light to interact with a sample, providing insight into molecular vibrations through energy shifts in scattered photons. It is based on the principle of inelastic light scattering. Raman spectroscopy provides information on chemical composition. This study investigated the effect of aging on the elemental composition of microplastics using Raman and LIBS techniques. The novel application of these spectroscopic methods provides a comprehensive analysis of microplastic samples subjected to controlled aging conditions. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/555335/document