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AFM-IR as a tool to detect nanoplastic particles in aerosols
Summary
Scientists have developed a new method to detect extremely tiny plastic particles (called nanoplastics) floating in the air we breathe. These particles are much smaller than a human hair and harder to find than larger plastic pieces, but they may be more dangerous because they can get deeper into our lungs and bodies. This detection tool will help researchers better understand how much of these invisible plastics we're actually breathing in every day.
Whereas the presence of microplastic particles (1µm – 1mm) have been documented all around the globe, the evidence for plastic particles in the submicrometer size range (
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