We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for direct analysis of pristine and environmentally aged microplastics: A PCA-based approach
Summary
Researchers combined a rapid laser analysis technique (LIBS) with statistical pattern recognition to distinguish between fresh and environmentally aged microplastics made of polystyrene, polyethylene, and PVC. They found that aging — especially biological aging with microbe growth — left distinct chemical fingerprints on particle surfaces, offering a faster way to monitor how microplastics change as they degrade in the environment.
This study investigates the potential of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for the differentiation and characterization of microplastics (MPs) in various stages of environmental aging. Three commonly encountered polymer types, polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride, in the form of fragments were subjected to controlled aging under abiotic and biotic conditions for one and six weeks in the absence and presence of selected heavy metal ions (cadmium, chromium, and lead) to simulate environmentally relevant contamination. The LIBS-PCA approach effectively distinguishes between pristine and aged MPs and among different polymer types and aging scenarios. Biotic aging led to pronounced elemental changes which were further supported by parallel chlorophyll a measurements assessing the biofilm development. These findings highlight the applicability of LIBS-PCA as a rapid and informative tool for monitoring microplastic transformation in complex environmental settings. • LIBS differentiated pristine and aged PE, PS, and PVC MPs by PCA. • Aging under abiotic and biotic conditions altered the elemental profiles of MPs. • Biotic aging increased Mg and K levels, indicating microbial surface activity. • Abiotic aging led to Ca and Na enrichment on MP surfaces after six weeks. • One-week aging showed minimal elemental changes across all polymer types. • Chlorophyll a data confirmed biofilm formation during extended biotic aging.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Laser-based spectroscopic techniques: A novel approach for distinguishing aging processes and types of microplastics
Researchers applied laser-based spectroscopic techniques as a novel approach to distinguish between different aging processes and plastic types in microplastic particles, addressing the challenge of identifying weathered plastics that have undergone physical and chemical degradation in the environment.
Laser-based spectroscopic techniques: A novel approach for distinguishing aging processes and types of microplastics
Researchers applied laser-based spectroscopic techniques as a novel approach to distinguish different aging processes and plastic types in microplastics, examining how biotic and abiotic degradation factors alter spectral signatures across particles ranging from 1 to 1000 microns.
Laser-based techniques: Novel tools for the identification and characterization of aged microplastics with developed biofilm
Researchers applied laser-based analytical techniques including Raman and LIBS spectroscopy to detect and characterize microplastics covered with environmental biofilm. The methods successfully identified five polymer types under real-world conditions without requiring biofilm removal, avoiding the particle loss associated with conventional pre-treatment steps.
Identifying microplastic litter with Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: A first approach
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.
Dataset for: "LIBS for Direct Analysis of Pristine and Environmentally Aged Microplastics: A PCA-Based Approach"
This dataset supports a study using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to directly analyse pristine and environmentally aged polystyrene, PVC, and polyethylene microplastics — including samples with and without heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Cr) contamination from biotic and abiotic aging — alongside UV-VIS and SEM characterisation data for a principal component analysis-based identification approach.