Raman Tweezers for Small Microplastics and Nanoplastics Identification in Seawater
Environmental Science & Technology2019
329 citations
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Score: 45
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Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Raymond Gillibert,
Raymond Gillibert,
Raymond Gillibert,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Raymond Gillibert,
Alessandro Magazzù,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Raymond Gillibert,
Raymond Gillibert,
Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Raymond Gillibert,
Raymond Gillibert,
Raymond Gillibert,
Raymond Gillibert,
Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Gireeshkumar Balakrishnan,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Fabienne Lagarde,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Alessandro Magazzù,
M. G. Donato,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Alessandro Magazzù,
M. G. Donato,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Quentin Deshoules,
Quentin Deshoules,
Quentin Deshoules,
Quentin Deshoules,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Morgan Tardivel,
Morgan Tardivel,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
M. G. Donato,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Fabienne Lagarde,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Alessandro Magazzù,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Raymond Gillibert,
Fabienne Lagarde,
M. G. Donato,
M. G. Donato,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
P. G. Gucciardi,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Fabienne Lagarde,
M. G. Donato,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Onofrio M. Maragò
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Florent Colas,
Florent Colas,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Marc Lamy de la Chapelle,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Onofrio M. Maragò
P. G. Gucciardi,
Fabienne Lagarde,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Fabienne Lagarde,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Fabienne Lagarde,
P. G. Gucciardi,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Fabienne Lagarde,
Onofrio M. Maragò
Summary
Researchers used Raman tweezers - optical tweezers combined with Raman spectroscopy - to capture and chemically identify individual small microplastic and nanoplastic particles in seawater samples in situ. This novel technique could enable real-time identification of the smallest plastic particles in marine environments, filling a critical gap in nano- and micro-plastic detection.
Our understanding of the fate and distribution of micro- and nano- plastics in the marine environment is limited by the intrinsic difficulties of the techniques currently used for the detection, quantification, and chemical identification of small particles in liquid (light scattering, vibrational spectroscopies, and optical and electron microscopies). Here we introduce Raman Tweezers (RTs), namely optical tweezers combined with Raman spectroscopy, as an analytical tool for the study of micro- and nanoplastics in seawater. We show optical trapping and chemical identification of sub-20 μm plastics, down to the 50 nm range. Analysis at the single particle level allows us to unambiguously discriminate plastics from organic matter and mineral sediments, overcoming the capacities of standard Raman spectroscopy in liquid, intrinsically limited to ensemble measurements. Being a microscopy technique, RTs also permits one to assess the size and shapes of particles (beads, fragments, and fibers), with spatial resolution only limited by diffraction. Applications are shown on both model particles and naturally aged environmental samples, made of common plastic pollutants, including polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and polystyrene, also in the presence of a thin eco-corona. Coupled to suitable extraction and concentration protocols, RTs have the potential to strongly impact future research on micro and nanoplastics environmental pollution, and enable the understanding of the fragmentation processes on a multiscale level of aged polymers.