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Aggregate-then-concentrate microfluidics for rapid detection of nanoplastics and submicroplastics
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Scientists have developed a faster, simpler way to detect nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles so small they can pass through biological barriers in our bodies, like the gut lining or even the blood-brain barrier. By clumping these particles together first before running them through a specialized filtering chip, the new method captured over 90% of nanoplastics in test samples, including polluted seawater. This matters because better detection tools could help researchers more easily study how much of this invisible plastic pollution ends up in our environment and, potentially, in us.
Submicron particles (SMPs), including nanoplastics (NPs) and sub-microplastics, play significant roles in influencing physiological and ecological systems. Their diminutive size allows them to readily traverse biological barriers. Detecting these particles relies on integrating sample pre-processing methods, such as filtration, ultracentrifugation, and emerging microfluidic technologies, but they are often constrained by complex workflows and low throughput. Here, we integrate SMP aggregation with spiral inertial microfluidics (SIMF) for rapid detection of SMPs. Using NPs as proof of concept, our aggregate-then-concentrate strategy achieved >90% NP recovery in experimental settings and polluted seawater samples, facilitating quantitative and qualitative assessments of NPs via fluorescence microscopy and Raman microspectroscopy, respectively. Hence, our technology overcomes the long-standing size limitations of inertial microfluidics conventionally restricted to microscale particles by enabling the efficient aggregation and detection of nanoscale targets without downscaled channels. This broadens the applicability of microfluidics and opens new avenues for scalable, accessible detection of SMPs in the environment.
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