0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Detection Methods Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Identification of marine microplastics in Eastern Harbor, Mediterranean Coast of Egypt, using differential scanning calorimetry

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2019 81 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Soha Shabaka, Mohamed Mohamady Ghobashy, Rasha Saad Marey

Summary

Researchers applied differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the first time to identify microplastics in marine sediments from Eastern Harbor on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, demonstrating it as a cost-effective complement to conventional spectroscopic identification methods.

Study Type Environmental

Microplastic pollution has gained significant attention, and there are growing concerns about its potential effects on aquatic environments. The lack of proper solid waste management in Egypt has resulted in the accumulation of plastic litter and its deposition in waterways. However, no attempts have been made to identify or assess marine plastic litter in Egypt. We provide, for the first time, a precise, simple, and cost-effective method to identify microplastics in Eastern Harbor by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This screening revealed the presence of ten polymers in seawater and shoreline sediments. Most of the extracted microplastics are secondary microplastics, as they appear to be remnants of larger plastic fragments.

Sign in to start a discussion.

More Papers Like This

Article Tier 2

Regression analysis for the determination of microplastics in sediments using differential scanning calorimetry

Researchers developed a differential scanning calorimetry method for rapid identification and quantification of microplastics in sediment samples. The study demonstrated that this thermo-analytical approach could detect multiple polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET in sand samples, offering a faster and more cost-efficient alternative to traditional microplastic analysis methods.

Article Tier 2

A facile approach to microplastic identification and quantification using differential scanning calorimetry

Researchers developed a simpler differential scanning calorimetry method to identify and quantify six types of semi-crystalline microplastic polymers in water samples, offering a lower-cost alternative to μFTIR that also provides mass concentration data.

Article Tier 2

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): An important tool for polymer identification and characterization of plastic marine debris

Researchers optimized a differential scanning calorimetry method for identifying plastic polymers in marine debris and built a reference library from over 200 polymer standards. They established temperature-based criteria for distinguishing between similar plastic types that are often confused during visual identification. The study provides a practical, reliable tool for improving the accuracy of polymer identification in plastic pollution research.

Article Tier 2

Thermal analysis and enhanced visual technique for assessment of microplastics in fish from an Urban Harbor, Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Researchers applied an enhanced visual counting technique combined with combustion analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to assess microplastics in fish digestive tracts from Alexandria's Eastern Harbor, Egypt, detecting seven thermoplastic polymer types in all fish samples in what was the first such quantification study in Egypt.

Article Tier 2

Fast and easy quantification of semi-crystalline microplastics in exemplary environmental matrices by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

This study demonstrated that differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) can quantify semi-crystalline microplastics (PE, PET, PP, PA6) in environmental matrices, with pre-heating steps improving detection accuracy and reducing interference from organic impurities.

Share this paper