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Intra-Laboratory Calibration Exercise for Quantification of Microplastic Particles in Fine-Grained Sediment Samples: Special Focus on the Influence of User Experience
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An intra-laboratory calibration study assessed how accurately different analysts quantify microplastics in marine sediment samples. Recovery rates and particle identification varied significantly between analysts, especially for small and transparent particles. The study recommends standardized training and protocols to reduce variability and improve the reliability of microplastic quantification in sediments.
An intra-laboratory calibration to quantify microplastic in fine-grained marine sediments was performed with two objectives: (a) to determine the recovery rate of self-produced microplastics characterized by a size ranging from 220 µm to 5 mm and differing in color (pink, orange, gray, yellow, silver), shape (fragments, filaments, spheres, films), and chemical composition (polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polypropylene, poly(methyl methacrylate)) artificially introduced into real samples; and (b) to analyze whether operator experience can be a key factor in the quality of the results. To answer this question, the same protocol was assigned to an experienced and an inexperienced operator. The results of this comparison are detailed in terms of root mean square and percent error. Possible strategies to increase the recovery rate are presented, and an ad hoc category, namely “glitter”, was created to adjust the results with respect to this unique type of microplastic usually ignored and excluded from the analysis.
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