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The effect of weathering environments on microplastic chemical identification with Raman and IR spectroscopy: Part I. polyethylene and polypropylene
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Researchers compared Raman and IR spectroscopy for identifying weathered polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics, finding that weathering significantly alters surface chemistry and that Raman spectroscopy is more robust for identifying heavily weathered samples than IR spectroscopy.
Chemical identification of microplastics is a crucial step in understanding the sources of microplastics and studying the effects of microplastic pollution. A major challenge to microplastics identification is that weathered microplastics undergo surface chemical changes that differ from their unweathered counterparts which hinders spectroscopic matching and thus identification. While IR spectroscopy is a common technique used for microplastics identification, Raman spectroscopy is a complementary technique and its higher spatial resolution capabilities (capable of analyzing particles as small as 1 μm) make it a popular tool to identify smaller microplastics that can otherwise go undetected by IR techniques. Currently, there is limited Raman spectroscopic information on weathered microplastics. Herein, we investigate the effects of artificial weathering on polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics for 0–26 weeks in four different weathering conditions (air, DI water, artificial seawater, and Puget Sound seawater) using Raman and IR spectroscopy. Microplastics weathering in different environments reveal that they can lead to different IR spectra, suggestive of varying degradation pathways for plastics, but relatively similar Raman spectra. Raman spectra, however, do show variations in peaks associated with the crystallinity and amorphous regions in the polymers which indicate morphological changes in the weathered microplastics. Overall, Raman spectroscopy acts as a practical interrelated method that can be used in lieu of IR spectroscopy in cases where weathering can complicate plastics identification by spectroscopic matching. This work aims to provide spectral information to facilitate marine microplastic chemical identification and encourage more investigations on the conditions that influence microplastic weathering.
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The effect of weathering environments on microplastic chemical identification with Raman and IR spectroscopy: Part II. polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and nylon 6.
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Researchers weathered polystyrene, PET, and nylon 6 in four environments for up to 26 weeks and found that spectral changes were often non-linear with no clear time trend, that Raman spectroscopy missed oxidation in PS that infrared spectroscopy detected, and that freshwater environments produced more degradation products than seawater — underscoring the need to use both techniques together.
Optimizing microplastic analysis through comparative FTIR and raman spectroscopy: Addressing challenges in environmental degradation studies
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Researchers compared FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for analyzing degraded microplastic polymers in environmental samples, evaluating how polymer aging affects identification accuracy. The study found that spectral databases based on pristine polymers can misidentify weathered microplastics, calling for updated reference libraries.
Optimizing microplastic analysis through comparative FTIR and raman spectroscopy: Addressing challenges in environmental degradation studies
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This study optimized microplastic analysis by comparing FTIR and Raman spectroscopy approaches for identifying degraded polymer particles in environmental samples where photooxidation and mechanical fragmentation have altered spectral signatures. A combined spectroscopy approach outperformed either technique alone for accurately identifying degraded microplastics in complex environmental matrices.
Analysis of aged microplastics: a review
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This review looks at how microplastics change over time in the environment through exposure to sunlight, temperature changes, and biological activity. Aging alters the surface properties of microplastics, which can make them more toxic and change how they interact with other pollutants. Advanced techniques like infrared and Raman spectroscopy are the best current methods for identifying and tracking these aged microplastics in environmental samples.
Weathering-independent differentiation of microplastic polymers by reflectance IR spectrometry and pattern recognition
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Researchers developed a weathering-independent method for identifying microplastic polymer types using reflectance infrared spectrometry combined with pattern recognition techniques including principal components analysis and classification trees, demonstrating reliable polymer differentiation even when field samples are weathered or biofouled.
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