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Protocol for low-cost quantification of microplastics through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy from aqueous matrices

STAR Protocols 2025 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Almeenu Rasheed, Sovik Das

Summary

Most methods for detecting microplastics in water require expensive equipment or time-consuming laboratory steps. This study presents a simple protocol using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) — measuring how microplastics change the electrical resistance of a solution — to rapidly and cheaply quantify plastic particles in water samples. Validated against conventional optical methods, the approach could make routine microplastic monitoring more affordable and accessible, particularly for lower-resource settings or high-throughput screening applications.

We present a protocol to quantify microplastics (MPs) in aqueous matrices by analyzing the solution resistance (R) imparted by MPs using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We describe steps for preparing the samples, which can provide accurate MP quantification, and detailed steps for configuring the EIS system. We then detail procedures for constructing calibration curves using R as the key parameter and validating this technique using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The protocol supports non-destructive, rapid, and low-cost detection of different MP types.

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