We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
SERS detection of surface-adsorbent toxic substances of microplastics based on gold nanoparticles and surface acoustic waves
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to detect toxic chemicals that stick to the surface of microplastics, using gold nanoparticles and sound waves to enhance the signal. The technique can identify cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on microplastic surfaces at very low concentrations. This tool matters for human health because it helps scientists track exactly which harmful chemicals microplastics are carrying, providing better data on the real-world chemical risks of microplastic exposure.
Microplastics adsorb toxic substances and act as a transport medium. When microplastics adsorbed with toxic substances accumulate in the body, the microplastics and the adsorbed toxic substances can cause serious diseases, such as cancer. This work aimed to develop a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection method for surface-adsorbent toxic substances by forming gold nanogaps on microplastics using surface acoustic waves (SAWs). Polystyrene microparticles (PSMPs; 1 μm) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including pyrene, anthracene, and fluorene, were selected as microplastics and toxic substances, respectively. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; 50 nm) were used as a SERS agent. The Raman characteristic peaks of the PAHs adsorbed on the surface of PSMPs were detected, and the SERS intensity and logarithm of the concentrations of pyrene, anthracene, and fluorene showed a linear relationship (R2 = 0.98), and the limits of detection were 95, 168, and 195 nM, respectively. Each PAH was detected on the surface of PSMPs, which were adsorbed with toxic substances in a mixture of three PAHs, indicating that the technique can be used to elucidate mixtures of toxic substances. The proposed SERS detection method based on SAWs could sense toxic substances that were surface-adsorbed on microplastics and can be utilized to monitor or track pollutants in aquatic environments.