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Solvent-Based Elimination of Organic Matter from Marine-Collected Plastics
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Researchers developed a solvent-based method to remove biofouling and organic matter from plastic litter collected from the marine environment before chemical analysis. Reliable protocols for cleaning marine plastics are important for accurately characterizing the types and properties of microplastics in ocean environments.
The physical-chemical characterization of plastic litter from the marine environment requires the prior removal of the biofouling attached to their surface without causing any degradation in the polymer. The absence of a standardized protocol for digesting biofouling and organic matter of both macro and microplastic samples extracted from seawater has been the main motivation for this research work, which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different solvents (hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, a commercial enzymatic detergent, and potassium hydroxide) for the digestion of organic matter and biofouling in different samples recovered from the Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. Moreover, the potential effect of those solvents on the physical-chemical structure of polymers, four virgin plastic reference materials (low-density polyethylene, polyamide, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polystyrene) without any type of prior degradation has been characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical microscopy. Results indicate that the hydrogen peroxide at 15% concentration applied for one week at 40 °C is the most effective solvent for organic matter and biofouling removal, without causing any apparent damage on the structure of plastic samples analyzed.
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Researchers designed and evaluated plastic-free field sampling equipment for collecting marine microplastics, addressing the problem that most contemporary sampling gear contains plastic components that can contaminate samples. The study demonstrated that plastic-free equipment significantly reduces procedural contamination during marine microplastic surveys.
Microplastics in seawater: a study of pretreatment, separation, and recovery.
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Researchers developed and compared pretreatment, separation, and recovery methods for isolating microplastics from seawater samples, addressing the methodological diversity that limits comparability across marine monitoring studies. The study identified optimal combinations of techniques that improve microplastic recovery efficiency while minimizing contamination and sample loss.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.