We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
In situ imaging of the spatial and temporal penetration of organic pollutants into microplastics via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Summary
Researchers developed a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method using gold nanoparticles as nanoprobes to image the spatial and temporal penetration of organic pollutants into low-density polyethylene microplastics in situ. The method detected ferbam and methylene blue with detection limits of 0.36 and 0.02 ng/mm respectively, showing that both pollutants penetrated the outer 90 µm layer of MPs over 168 hours, with ferbam accumulating at higher concentrations.
Understanding the spatial and temporal penetration patterns of organic pollutants in microplastics (μP) is important for evaluating their environmental and biological impacts, such as the "Trojan Horse" effect. However, there is a lack of an effective method to monitor the penetration processes and patterns in situ. This study aimed to develop a simple and sensitive approach for in situ imaging of organic pollutant penetration into μP. The novel method was developed using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with gold nanoparticles as nanoprobes that could sensitively detect organic pollutants in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) μP spatially and temporally. The detection limit of this SERS-based method was 0.36 and 0.02 ng/mm for ferbam (pesticide) and methylene blue (synthetic dye), respectively. The results showed that both ferbam and methylene blue could penetrate LDPE μP. The penetration depth and amount increased as the interaction time increased. Most of the absorbed organic pollutants accumulated within the top 90 μm layer of the tested μP. Compared to methylene blue, ferbam was more quickly absorbed and achieved higher accumulation in μP with a maximum of 32.57 ng/mm after 168 h interaction. This pioneering study clearly demonstrated that SERS mapping is a sensitive and in situ approach to visualize and quantify the penetration patterns of organic pollutants in μP. The new approach developed here can advance our understanding of μP as pollutant carriers and their influence on the environmental fate, behavior, and biological impacts of organic pollutants.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the detection of microplastics
Researchers developed a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method using gold nanoparticles to detect polystyrene microplastics at concentrations as low as 6.5 micrograms per milliliter, offering a new tool for detecting sub-micron plastic pollutants in water.
Detection of Sub-Micro- and Nanoplastic Particles on Gold Nanoparticle-Based Substrates through Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy
Gold nanoparticle-based SERS substrates were used to detect sub-micro and nanoplastic particles including polystyrene, PET, and PVC, demonstrating that this technique can identify plastic particles below the size threshold of conventional Raman microscopy.
Latest Advances and Developments to Detection of Micro‐ and Nanoplastics Using Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
This review examines the latest developments in using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect micro- and nanoplastics in various environmental samples. Researchers found that SERS offers significantly improved sensitivity compared to conventional methods, enabling detection of smaller plastic particles. The study suggests that SERS-based approaches hold promise for advancing nanoplastic detection, though challenges around standardization and reproducibility remain.
Simultaneous detection of nanoplastics and adsorbed pesticides by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Researchers used Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) with silver and gold nanoparticles to simultaneously detect nanoplastic particles and pesticides adsorbed onto their surfaces at environmentally relevant concentrations. The technique successfully identified both the plastic carrier and the co-transported contaminant in a single measurement, demonstrating its utility for assessing the combined hazard of nanoplastic-pesticide complexes.
In situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for detecting microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic environments
This study evaluated surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a method for detecting and identifying microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic environments, demonstrating its potential for detecting particles too small for conventional spectroscopy while noting remaining challenges for field deployment.