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Reliable thermal mass quantification of PVC – an ongoing challenge
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Researchers tested whether pyrolysis-based thermal analysis can reliably quantify polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in environmental microplastic samples, finding that no definitive chemical marker exists because PVC's breakdown products are shared by many other polymers. This makes accurate PVC quantification in complex environmental samples currently unfeasible, a significant gap for monitoring plastic pollution.
Abstract Thermal analysis of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) is a well-established complementary method to spectroscopic techniques, enabling simultaneous quantification of synthetic polymers at trace levels. However, pyrolysis is complex and prone to interferences. As the MNP composition in environmental samples is unknown, pyrolytic signals attributed to specific homopolymers often contain degradation products from copolymers and formulations, sharing the same polymer building blocks. Thus, results need to be reported as polymer clusters (C-). However, depending on marker specificity, residual organic matrix like natural polymers, especially refractory substances, and even unrelated synthetic polymers, can compromise quantification. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a common polymer, is a prominent example. Its thermal degradation mainly yields chlorine-free, partially alkylated aromatics dominated by benzene and naphthalene derivatives, which lack specificity. This study evaluated the applicability of PVC pyrolysis markers, including naphthalene and methylnaphthalene, across diverse (chlorinated) synthetic and natural polymers, including soot. All polymers released these markers. Alternative indicators like dihydro- and tetrahydronaphthalene showed slightly improved but still insufficient specificity. Thus, no definitive C-PVC marker was identified. Semi-quantitative estimates of C-PVC may be feasible in less complex or well-characterized environments. Its accurate quantification in complex matrices, where residual organic matrix is unavoidable, even after severe pretreatment, remains problematic. This requires critical reassessment of C-PVC data in environmental and biological samples. If organic residues cannot be fully excluded, thermal C-PVC. quantification should be avoided or supported by complementary methods. As a compromise, a broader C-PVC* cluster that includes refractory polymers like soot or black carbon, is suggested, provided other organics (e.g. natural fibers) have been effectively removed during preprocessing. Graphical Abstract
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Reliable thermal mass quantification of PVC – An ongoing challenge
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Researchers examined the challenges of reliably quantifying PVC using thermal analysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, noting that PVC is among the most analytically difficult polymer candidates due to its complex pyrolytic decomposition and potential for interference from multiple matrix sources. They found that contextual data interpretation is essential when analyzing polymer clusters in complex environmental samples, particularly where thermal decomposition products share origins with other organic matrix components.
Reliable thermal mass quantification of PVC – An ongoing challenge
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Researchers examined the challenges of reliably quantifying PVC using thermal analysis methods such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, highlighting the complexity of pyrolytic processes and the susceptibility to matrix interference from organic compounds. They found that PVC is a particularly problematic candidate because its thermal decomposition products can originate from multiple sources, requiring careful contextual interpretation of results to avoid misidentification.
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This paper provides a reference dataset of chemical fingerprints — generated by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry — to help researchers accurately identify chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (C-PVC) microplastics in environmental samples without confusing them with other materials. Environmental samples often contain complex mixtures of polymers, charcoal, soot, and natural materials that can produce overlapping signals, so having validated reference data is essential for reliable microplastic identification. Better analytical tools for distinguishing plastic types will improve the accuracy of microplastic contamination assessments.
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