We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Towards the comprehensive wide-scope analysis of legacy and emerging contaminants sorbed in microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastics don't just pose a direct physical hazard—they also act as sponges, absorbing toxic chemicals from the surrounding environment and potentially delivering concentrated doses to organisms that ingest them. This study developed and validated two analytical methods (using liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) capable of detecting up to 254 different legacy and emerging contaminants in plastic particles at concentrations as low as 0.1 nanograms per gram. The validated methods achieved over 92% accuracy across three plastic polymer types, providing a practical toolkit for researchers monitoring the chemical cocktails hitchhiking on environmental microplastics. Standardizing how these contaminants are measured is essential for understanding the true health and ecological risks of plastic pollution.
Microplastics (MPs) are dangerous pollutants, not only considered dangerous due to the risk of their ingestion by living organisms in affected ecosystems, but also because they have the ability to release additives, used in their manufacture, in addition to their capability to concentrate pollutants from the surrounding environment. Monitoring the organic contaminants sorbed in MPs is currently an analytical challenge on which there is still no agreement in the scientific community. Thus, this work aims to develop and validate two analytical methods fulfilling the SANTE analytical quality control guidelines and the principles of white chemistry for the simultaneous determination of a wide range of organic contaminants by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), in three plastic matrices. Of the 86 compounds quantified from 88 by GC-MS, up to 96 % were fully and partially validated in the polymers whereas in the case of the 189 compounds quantified from 254 by LC-HRMS, the percentage of fully and partially validated compounds was 92 %, allowing the detection down to 0.1 ng/g. The multi-residue methodologies also provide suitable environmental sustainability, as well as high practicability allowing high-throughput analysis of large batches of samples which might set the basis for extending the chemical coverage on the analysis of contaminants sorbed by MPs. This work presents a guide for the comprehensive determination of legacy and emerging contaminants sorbed by MP using LC-HRMS and GC-MS, in accordance with the holistic perspective of the white chemistry, which might help to extend the chemical coverage and knowledge in the field of plastic pollution.
More Papers Like This
Simultaneous determination of persistent and emerging organic pollutants in microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed and validated a new analytical method to simultaneously detect 45 persistent and emerging organic pollutants sorbed onto microplastics. The method was tested on several polymer types including polypropylene and polyethylene, both pristine and weathered, using solvent extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The study provides a practical tool for assessing the chemical contamination that microplastics can carry and transport through the environment.
Insights into emerging organic pollutants extraction from polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed and validated an analytical method for extracting and measuring emerging organic pollutants absorbed onto microplastics, simultaneously accounting for particle size, weathering state, and environmental matrix effects for the first time. The method worked well across multiple polymer types and real environmental samples, providing a more reliable tool for assessing the chemical contamination hitchhiking on microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics in the environment: analytical chemistry methods, sorption materials, risks and sustainable solutions
AI summary Read the abstract
This review covers the full picture of microplastic pollution, from how scientists detect and measure these particles to how they carry other pollutants and affect living organisms. The authors highlight that microplastics act as tiny sponges that absorb harmful chemicals like pharmaceuticals and pesticides, then release them inside organisms that ingest the particles. The review calls for more standardized testing methods and sustainable solutions to reduce both microplastic pollution and its risks to human health.
A Novel Analytical Approach to Assessing Sorption of Trace Organic Compounds into Micro- and Nanoplastic Particles
AI summary Read the abstract
This study develops a novel analytical approach to measure how organic trace compounds are absorbed by microplastics, using solid-phase extraction combined with chromatographic detection. The method improves accuracy when assessing sorption of environmental contaminants onto plastic surfaces.
Methods of analysing chemicals associated with microplastics: a review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review surveys analytical methods used to identify and quantify chemicals associated with marine microplastics, covering extraction techniques, spectroscopic approaches, and the challenges of characterizing the complex mixture of polymer additives and adsorbed contaminants.
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.