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Microplastic contaminants detection in aquatic environment by hydrophobic cerium oxide nanoparticles
Summary
Researchers developed a low-cost sensor using hydrophobic cerium oxide nanoparticles that can detect common microplastics like polyethylene and polypropylene in water. The sensor showed good sensitivity and reliability in laboratory tests, offering a more affordable alternative to expensive detection equipment. Better detection tools are critical because understanding how much microplastic is in our water supply is the first step toward reducing human exposure.
Microplastics (MPs) poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health, demanding immediate attention. The reported research work offers an effective and low cost method towards the detection of toxic MPs. In this study, hydrophobic cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO NPs) are synthesized and applied as promising electrode material for the detection of two different types of MPs, i.e. polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Through electrochemical analyses, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), hydrophobic CeO NPs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) based sensor demonstrated remarkable sensitivity of ∼0.0343 AmLmgcm and detection limit of ∼0.226 mgmL, with promising correlation coefficient (R) towards the detection of PE (∼27-32 μm). Furthermore, hydrophobic CeO NPs modified GCE exhibited promising stability and reproducibility towards PE (∼27-32 μm), suggesting the promising potential of hydrophobic CeO NPs as electrode materials for an electrochemical microplastics detection.