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Review of sampling, detection, and characterization methods for microplastics and quality control in water column and sediments
Original title: Revisión de métodos de muestreo, detección, caracterización de microplásticos y control de calidad en columna de agua y sedimentos
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This Spanish-language review surveys the methods used to sample, detect, and characterize microplastics in water and sediments, cataloguing the advantages and limitations of each approach. The authors highlight that the lack of standardized protocols makes it impossible to reliably compare studies — a critical obstacle to understanding how widespread microplastic contamination really is and what it means for ecosystems and human health.
Los microplásticos (MPs) ya se consideran como contaminantes emergentes debido a que se encuentran en todos los cuerpos de agua que se han analizado y a que pueden tener efectos adversos en la salud humana. Estimar la cantidad y el tipo de MPs en aguas superficiales es relevante para poder entender la problemática. Sin embargo, aún no se tiene una metodología establecida para la determinación cuantitativa y cualitativa de estos contaminantes en medios acuáticos y por esta falta de estandarización la comparación entre artículos se vuelve complicada. Una metodología estándar podría hacer que futuras investigaciones se enfoquen a la resolución del problema. La presente revisión expone ventajas y limitantes de los diferentes métodos de muestro, detección y caracterización de MPs en agua y sedimentos, con el fin de que futuras investigaciones experimentales de microplásticos puedan utilizar los métodos expuestos en la literatura de manera informada.
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