We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Density separation of soils as sample preparation for the determination of plastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This study developed and evaluated a density separation technique for extracting plastic particles from soil samples, enabling more reliable quantification of microplastics in terrestrial environments. Researchers found that optimizing the separation solution density improved recovery rates for a range of common polymer types.
Plastics are found ubiquitously in all environmental media. Evidence of microplastic occurrence was also provided for various biota. At the beginning of the scientific debate, the oceans as final plastics sinks were in the foreground, whereas current research work focuses on the sources of input, includingsurface waters. The water content of these surface waters are influenced by urban and rural areas, including the adjoining soils.Like oceans, soils are a final sink for many substances, including plastics. Sources of plastics are diverse and depend on use and management. With respect to analytics, soil material is much more complex than suspended solids in water. Therefore the type of soil, grain size, the organic content as well as containing metal ions are important parameters.For the detection of plastics, there are different analytical methods. Spectroscopic methods determine the particle numbers, sizes, and shapes. Pyrolytic methods return the total contents of plastics within the sample. These include the Thermo-Extraction-Desorption-Gas-Chromatography-MassSpectrometry (TED-GC-MS).In many environmental samples, there are substances that interfere with both the sample detection and sample preparation. Thus, mineral components must be removed in order to be able to grind better. For their removal, density separation is suitable. In this article, experiments with density separation will be presented.There are different options to prepare solid samples with density separation, including major methodological differences in the selection of the separation solution and the phase separation.Various plastic spiked solid samples (terrestrial and sub hydric soils) were biologized. Subsequently, recovery tests were carried out using a density separation method with different separation solutions.Ultrasound was used to destroy soil agglomerates and release occluded plastics. The separated floated material was sucked off through a 6 μm stainless steel filter. The plastic content in the rinsed organic material was quantified with a TED-GC-MS analysis.The presented method shows medium (PE: 47 – 82 %) to high (PS: 89 – 100 %) recovery rates depending on the separation solution used and the environmental sample examined.
More Papers Like This
A modified methodology for extraction and quantification of microplastics in soil
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed and validated an improved methodology for extracting and quantifying microplastics from soil samples using optimized density separation with different salt solutions. The method achieved high recovery rates for various polymer types and particle sizes while minimizing organic matter interference. The study provides a standardized and reproducible analytical approach that could help address inconsistencies in how microplastics are measured across different soil studies.
Extraction of Polyethylene and Polypropylene Microplastic from Agriculture Soil
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined methods for extracting polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics from agricultural soil, investigating how microplastic concentrations affect soil properties and crop productivity while evaluating density separation and other extraction protocols to improve detection and quantification of plastic pollution in agroecosystems.
An optimized density-based approach for extracting microplastics from soil and sediment samples
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers optimized a density-based extraction method for isolating microplastics from soil and sediment samples, testing different density solutions and separation steps to maximize recovery efficiency. The improved protocol reduces contamination risks and particle loss, enabling more accurate quantification of microplastics in terrestrial and freshwater sediment matrices.
Extraction and Identification of a Wide Range of Microplastic Polymers in Soil and Compost
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared and optimized two microplastic extraction methods for soil and compost, finding that density separation combined with chemical digestion was effective across a wide range of polymer types, providing a more reliable protocol for terrestrial microplastic analysis.
Upgraded Protocol for Microplastics’ Extraction from the Soil Matrix by Sucrose Density Gradient Centrifugation
AI summary Read the abstract
Extracting microplastics from soil is technically difficult because soil contains dense organic matter and particles that look similar to plastic under analysis. This study refined a sucrose density gradient centrifugation method to more cleanly separate microplastics from soil, improving recovery rates while reducing contamination from non-plastic material. A reliable soil extraction protocol is essential for accurately measuring how much microplastic pollution has accumulated in agricultural and urban land.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.