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Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the Identification of Microplastics Collected from Arabian Sea of Pakistan
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Researchers applied laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with FTIR to identify and characterize microplastic samples collected from the Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan, demonstrating that calibration-free LIBS can reliably distinguish polymer types through elemental analysis of carbon and oxygen content.
The tremendous utilization of plastics with inappropriate disposal is hazardous to the climate and the ecosystem. Microplastics (MPs), also known as global pollutants, having dimensions less than 5 mm are considered as the main cause of sea pollution. These microplastics (MPs) due to their hard, thin, and non-degradable nature cause adverse effects on the marine biota and consequently on human beings due to the consumption of seafood. Therefore, the identification of these MPs is highly important for environmental studies. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a simple and reliable technique for the identification and analysis of these MPs. By focusing Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 10 ns, 55 mJ) at an irradiance of 8.2 GW/cm2 on the MP surface, plasma is generated. The experiment is conducted under 50 torr of Argon pressure to enhance emission intensities. For improving the reliability of quantitative elemental investigation through LIBS, the calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS) technique is utilized along with Boltzmann, Saha-Boltzmann, and Stark broadening profiles. Allyl diglycol carbonate or poly allyl diglycol (CR-39) is taken as a reference sample to confirm the validity and accuracy of the CF-LIBS method. In this study, six unidentified microplastic samples, collected from the coastal area and shallow waters of the Arabian Sea in Pakistan, are analyzed using LIBS and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The slight variations in carbon and oxygen concentrations are observed in different MPs. One representative MP sample, out of these six, is chosen for detailed analysis along with CR-39. The research demonstrates LIBS’ predictive capabilities for MP identification, providing profound insights into environmental conservation and sustainability. This innovative aspect of the present work significantly contributes to advancing our understanding and addressing the challenges caused by MP pollution.
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