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Analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics: How green are the methodologies used?
Summary
This review evaluated the environmental footprint of the analytical methods used to study microplastics and nanoplastics, finding that many standard protocols rely on hazardous chemicals and high energy use, and recommending greener methodological alternatives.
Microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) pollution is among the global environmental concerns of the 21st century owing to its transboundary distribution and persistence. The number of studies focused on the determination of MPs in air, water, sediment, soil, and biota of an important number of ecosystems has increased exponentially. However, the impact that the methodologies used to isolate and determine MPs and NPs have on the environment owing to the consumption of reagents and energy and the generation of waste is not yet studied. This review presents a critical overview of the analytical methodologies applied to determination of MPs and NPs assessing their greenness using the National Environmental Methods Index, Analytical Eco-Scale, and AGREE metrics and discussing green issues related to the consumption of solvents/reagents and so on.
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