Forensic Textile and Fibre Examinations for the Purposes of Improved Recovery, Analysis and Interpretation of Microplastic Pollution

The investigation and interpretation of microplastic pollution is benefitted from a multidisciplinary approach. One discipline which has sought to better understand the sources, transfer mechanisms and analysis methods of a chief form of microplastic pollution, fibres, is forensic fibre examinations. The forensic examination of fibres has been in existence for many decades and, as such, is built on a substantial evidence base. It also must be robust enough for it to be presented as a part of a criminal investigation in court; therefore, recovery, analysis and interpretation methods must be rigorous, transparent and informed by research. There are many areas in which forensic fibre examination may inform microplastic studies, including the methods used to recover these particulates from filter papers and other surfaces, reducing and monitoring procedural contamination, analysis methods and interpretation approaches. The aim of this chapter is to provide the microplastic analyst with knowledge from the well-established discipline of forensic science to help in their investigations. It does this by describing two main areas: (i) methods for the recovery and characterisation of fibres and (ii) interpretation of fibres. This chapter aims to add to the existing evidence based for microplastic researchers to ensure the science used in tackling pollution is as rigorous as possible.