We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Validated method for polystyrene nanoplastic separation in aqueous matrices by asymmetric-flow field flow fraction coupled to MALS and UV–Vis detectors
Summary
Researchers developed and fully validated a method to accurately measure nanoplastic particle sizes (30–490 nm) in water using a technique that combines flow separation with light-scattering detection. Having a validated analytical method is a critical step for standardizing how nanoplastics are measured across laboratories, enabling more consistent assessment of their environmental risks.
Plastics with nanosize (nanoplastics, NPLs) must be characterized, since they can be toxic or act as carriers of organic and inorganic pollutants, but there is a lack of reference materials and validated methods in the nanosize range. Therefore, this study has focused on the development and validation of a separation and size characterization methodology of polystyrene latex nanospheres, by using an asymmetric-flow field flow fraction system coupled to multi-angle light scattering and ultraviolet-visible detectors (AF4-MALS-UV). Hence, this work presents a fully validated methodology in the particle size range 30 to 490 nm, with bias between 95 and 109%, precision between 1 and 18%, LOD and LOQ below 0.2 and 0.3 µg respectively, except for 30-nm standard, for both detectors, and showing stable results for 100 analyses.