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Critical Assessment of Analytical Methods for the Harmonized and Cost-Efficient Analysis of Microplastics
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This critical review assessed analytical methods for microplastic analysis across different matrices and developed recommendations for harmonized, cost-efficient protocols, arguing that methodological inconsistency is the primary barrier to comparable, regulatory-ready microplastic data.
Microplastics are of major concerns for society and is currently in the focus of legislators and administrations. A small number of measures to reduce or remove primary sources of microplastics to the environment are currently coming into effect. At the moment, they have not yet tackled important topics such as food safety. However, recent developments such as the 2018 bill in California are requesting the analysis of microplastics in drinking water by standardized operational protocols. Administrations and analytical labs are facing an emerging field of methods for sampling, extraction, and analysis of microplastics, which complicate the establishment of standardized operational protocols. In this review, the state of the currently applied identification and quantification tools for microplastics are evaluated providing a harmonized guideline for future standardized operational protocols to cover these types of bills. The main focus is on the naked eye detection, general optical microscopy, the application of dye staining, flow cytometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-Ir) and microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and microscopy, thermal degradation by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) as well as thermo-extraction and desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS). Additional techniques are highlighted as well as the combined application of the analytical techniques suggested. An outlook is given on the emerging aspect of nanoplastic analysis. In all cases, the methods were screened for limitations, field work abilities and, if possible, estimated costs and summarized into a recommendation for a workflow covering the demands of society, legislation, and administration in cost efficient but still detailed manner.
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A Review of Analytical Methods Used in Microplastics Quantification
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This review evaluates the various analytical methods used to detect and quantify microplastics in the environment, highlighting inconsistencies in sampling and analysis across studies. Standardizing methods is a critical priority for the field, as inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and track pollution trends over time.
Microplastic analysis—are we measuring the same? Results on the first global comparative study for microplastic analysis in a water sample
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Researchers conducted the first international comparative study of analytical methods for microplastic analysis in a water sample and found that comparability between methods was highly limited, underscoring the urgent need for standardized protocols in microplastic research.
Analysis and characterisation of microplastics in marine environment
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This review examined the methods used to analyze and characterize microplastics in marine environments, covering sampling approaches, extraction protocols, and identification techniques. Researchers identified significant variability across studies and called for greater harmonization of methods to improve data comparability. The review provides a practical overview for researchers entering the field and highlights the technical challenges that must be addressed to generate reliable marine microplastic data.
Disparities in Methods Used to Determine Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: A Review of Legislation, Sampling Process and Instrumental Analysis
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This review examined the wide disparities in sampling, processing, and analytical methods used across microplastic studies, highlighting how inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and calling for standardized international protocols and regulatory frameworks.
Microplastics, an Emerging Concern: A Review of Analytical Techniques for Detecting and Quantifying Microplatics
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This review surveyed analytical methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics published from 2000 to 2018, covering visual identification, spectroscopic, and pyrolysis-based techniques across environmental, food, and biological matrices. The authors identify the lack of standardized methods as a major barrier to generating comparable data on microplastic prevalence and health implications.
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