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Fluorescence microscopy versus Raman spectroscopy for direct identification of small (< 2 µm) microplastics in soils
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Researchers compared fluorescence microscopy and Raman spectroscopy for detecting very small microplastics (1-2 micrometers) in soil samples ranging from pure sand to complex organic-rich soils. Fluorescence microscopy was faster and cheaper but less specific, while Raman spectroscopy provided reliable polymer identification even in complex matrices. The study provides practical guidance on selecting detection methods based on sample complexity and size range of interest.
Research on microplastics (MP) in soils is much complicated due to the lack of dedicated (extraction) methodologies and the strong matrix interferences for MP detection, and there is almost no research on the dynamics of the smallest MP in soil. Here we compared the possible detection of the smallest MP fraction (1-2 µm) by µ-Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy in matrices of highly varying complexity. Samples of pure quartz sand, soil with removal of native soil organic matter (SOM), and soil with native SOM still present were amended with fluorescent polystyrene (PS) microparticles (diameter 1.65±0.04 µm) in different concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.001%, and after mixing and compaction both the Raman spectra and fluorescence microscopy images were obtained. Characteristic PS Raman peaks (main peak at 1009 cm-1) were visible in quartz sand (all concentrations) and soil without SOM (highest concentration only), but not in the other situations, whereas fluorescence microscopy clearly visualized the MP at all concentrations in all matrices. The possibility of direct and unambiguous fluorescent MP detection in real soil also circumvents the need for lengthy extraction procedures, and opens up new avenues for studying mechanistic aspects of the smallest MP fractions in soil.
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Comparison of Raman and fluorescence microscopy for identification of small (< 2 μm) microplastics in soil
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Researchers compared Raman and fluorescence microscopy for detecting very small microplastics (1-2 micrometers) in different soil types. The study found that while Raman microscopy could identify polystyrene in simpler matrices like quartz sand, it failed in clay-rich soils and soils containing organic matter, whereas fluorescence microscopy consistently detected microplastics across all soil types and concentrations tested.
Detecting and monitoring the leaching of small (¡ 2 µm) microplastics in soils by fluorescence microscopy
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Researchers developed a fluorescence microscopy method to detect and monitor the leaching of small microplastics (under 2 µm) in soils, comparing it against µ-Raman spectroscopy across matrices of varying complexity and demonstrating its applicability for tracking the smallest microplastic fraction in soil systems.
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Researchers compared fluorescence microscopy and mu-Raman spectroscopy for detecting the smallest microplastic fraction (1-2 µm) in soils of varying matrix complexity, then used fluorescent microplastics in field conditions to directly measure leaching rates of small particles through soil profiles. The study demonstrated that fluorescence microscopy enables detection and tracking of sub-2 µm microplastics in field soils, providing a practical method for studying the dynamics of the smallest, most mobile plastic fraction in terrestrial environments.
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Researchers compared µ-Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy for detecting the smallest microplastic fraction (1-2 µm) in complex soil matrices, then demonstrated using fluorescent MP tracers under field conditions that small microplastics leach rapidly through soil, providing the first direct experimental evidence of fast vertical MP migration at this size range.
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