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Harmonized Analysis of Microplastics by FTIR Spectroscopy and Imaging
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This study developed and validated a harmonized analytical method for identifying and quantifying microplastics using FTIR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, two of the most widely used techniques in the field. Standardized protocols are critical for making data from different research groups directly comparable.
The ubiquitous presence of small plastic particles and fibers (<5 mm) with in the aquatic environment is of growing concern for sciences and societies. Nowadays these types of litter have already been found in the remotes areas of the world including the Arctic and Antarctic regions. To determine the levels of contamination the analysis of samples by FTIR imaging provides a rapid identification via the automated analysis of complete filters. By using special designed databases, a harmonized analysis of MP contaminations in environmental compartments can be achieved. This harmonized approach was already successfully applied in studies on (deep) sea sediments, Arctic Sea Ice, melted Snow, treated waste water and surface waters in general and allowed a maximum of comparability of the results. In addition, current developments do not only allow the characterization and quantification of microplastic particles but also the identification of microfibers within one measurement. Further, all methods are available via the manufacturer independent software siMPle via the website www.simple-plastics.eu. With these method and tools, the necessary harmonization of microplastic research was further improved which is paving the pathway to the implementation of standardized operating protocols (SOP) in the future.
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Analytical tools in advancing microplastics research for identification and quantification across environmental media: from sample to insight
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Researchers reviewed the analytical tools most commonly used for identifying and quantifying microplastics, focusing on FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as the two primary methods. The review compared their strengths and limitations and provided guidance for choosing between them based on particle size, sample matrix, and research objectives.
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This paper evaluated and compared different infrared microscopy protocols for identifying microplastics in environmental samples, working toward standardization of measurement methods across laboratories. Lack of standardized methods is a major obstacle to comparing microplastic data across studies and building a consistent picture of global contamination.
Comparing Raman and FTIR Spectroscopy for the Quantification of Microplastics
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This study compared Raman and FTIR spectroscopy for quantifying microplastics in environmental samples, evaluating the accuracy, sensitivity, and practicality of each technique. Both methods can identify and quantify microplastics, but differ in throughput, detection limits, and suitability for different polymer types and sample matrices.
Analytical methods for identifying microplastics in environment: a critical review
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This review systematically covers the full analytical pipeline for identifying environmental microplastics — from sample collection and density separation through digestion, filtration, and spectroscopic identification — highlighting that Raman spectroscopy outperforms FTIR for particles under 10 µm and that method standardization remains the central challenge for cross-study comparability.
Refined Analysis of Microplastics: Integrating Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy
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This study optimized the use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy for characterizing microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that integrating both techniques improves identification accuracy and physicochemical characterization.
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