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Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a technique to detect copper in plastic and microplastic waste
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Researchers used laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect copper in plastic and microplastic waste collected from a stream receiving urban effluents. They confirmed that both macroplastics and microplastics collected from the stream retained copper, demonstrating that plastics act as vectors for metal contaminants in waterways.
Plastic waste is an environmental problematic, not only because of its own contamination, but also because it can act as a vector for other pollutants, particularly metals. In this work, taking advantage of the sensitivity of the LIBS technique, the presence of copper in plastics and microplastics present in a stream that receives effluents from a medium-sized city was determined. The influence of the digestion process on the collected samples was analyzed. On the other hand, copper retention in commonly used plastics submerged in stream water and in a solution prepared in the laboratory was analyzed. This study confirms that both macroplastics and microplastics collected from a stream that receives effluents from a city, can retain copper.
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Researchers used Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to characterize and identify the sources of heavy metals contaminating microplastics collected from a remote coral island. LIBS proved an effective rapid analytical technique for trace metal determination in microplastics, avoiding the complex sample pretreatments required by conventional methods.
Methodological approach based on LIBS imaging for the identification of microplastics in the environment. A case study for water samples
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Researchers developed a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy imaging methodology for detecting and identifying microplastics in water samples, constructing spectral images from emission lines of different elemental markers to enable sensitive analytical detection.
Identifying microplastic litter with Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: A first approach
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Researchers demonstrated that Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) can identify microplastic particles by their spectral fingerprints, offering a first approach to a rapid analytical technique for distinguishing plastic litter types.
Integrated LIBS-Raman spectroscopic platform for concurrent elemental and molecular analysis
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Researchers developed a compact platform combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy for simultaneous identification and elemental analysis of microplastic particles. The system successfully distinguished polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene while detecting adsorbed lead and copper at parts-per-million levels. Machine learning classification of the Raman spectra achieved up to 99.3% accuracy, demonstrating the platform's potential for field-deployable microplastic monitoring.
Rapid characterization of heavy metals in single microplastics by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy
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This study used laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to rapidly characterize heavy metal content in individual microplastic particles, providing single-particle metal analysis without complex extraction steps. Single-particle heavy metal quantification methods are important for understanding the per-particle metal burden that organisms ingest when they consume microplastics.
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