Microfibre Methodologies for the Field and Laboratory

Microplastic is a pervasive pollutant found in every studied environment. One type of microplastic, the microfibre, is arguably the most ubiquitous. The field of microplastic research has had a distinct lack of standardized field and laboratory methodologies, despite concerted streamlining efforts made by the scientific community. Initial microplastic research focused heavily on sampling aquatic surface environments using a variety of techniques. The field has expanded to sample microplastic from freshwater, air, ice, snow, the water column, the deep sea, sediment, sand, animals, and human food and beverages. Studies often adopt different sampling methodologies, although most researchers have tried to harmonize sampling procedures when possible. Standardizing collection procedures from such variable sampling environments can prove difficult. Microplastic laboratory processing and analysis have been just as diverse, perhaps even more so, as field techniques. This chapter will highlight the current best practices for field and analytical methods, with a focus on techniques best suited for characterizing microfibres.