Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Reliable thermal mass quantification of PVC – An ongoing challenge

Researchers examined the challenges of reliably quantifying PVC using thermal analysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, noting that PVC is among the most analytically difficult polymer candidates due to its complex pyrolytic decomposition and potential for interference from multiple matrix sources. They found that contextual data interpretation is essential when analyzing polymer clusters in complex environmental samples, particularly where thermal decomposition products share origins with other organic matrix components.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Reliable thermal mass quantification of PVC – an ongoing challenge

Researchers tested whether pyrolysis-based thermal analysis can reliably quantify polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in environmental microplastic samples, finding that no definitive chemical marker exists because PVC's breakdown products are shared by many other polymers. This makes accurate PVC quantification in complex environmental samples currently unfeasible, a significant gap for monitoring plastic pollution.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Pyrolysis-GC/MS Reference Data for Polymeric and Refractory Materials to Evaluate C-PVC Indicator Specificity

This paper provides a reference dataset of chemical fingerprints — generated by pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry — to help researchers accurately identify chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (C-PVC) microplastics in environmental samples without confusing them with other materials. Environmental samples often contain complex mixtures of polymers, charcoal, soot, and natural materials that can produce overlapping signals, so having validated reference data is essential for reliable microplastic identification. Better analytical tools for distinguishing plastic types will improve the accuracy of microplastic contamination assessments.

2025 Publishing Network for Geoscientific and Environmental Data (PANGAEA) (Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards quantitative microplastic analysis using pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Researchers worked to improve a lab technique called pyrolysis-GC/MS — which identifies plastics by heating them until they break apart into detectable chemical fragments — and found that mixing certain plastics together (especially PVC with others) produces unexpected reactions that can throw off measurements. Their findings highlight the urgent need for standardized international methods so that microplastic data from different labs can be reliably compared.

2024 Polymer Testing 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Secondary reactions in the analysis of microplastics by analytical pyrolysis

Polymer interactions during analytical pyrolysis of mixed microplastic samples were investigated, finding that co-pyrolysis of PET with PVC and polyamides produces secondary reaction products not characteristic of any individual polymer, which could compromise the accuracy of pyrolysis-GC-MS identification in real environmental samples.

2021 Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of Poly(vinyl chloride) Microplastics via Pressurized Liquid Extraction and Combustion Ion Chromatography

Researchers developed a combustion ion chromatography method to quantify PVC microplastics in environmental samples by measuring hydrogen chloride released during thermal decomposition, providing a reliable and sensitive analytical approach for one of the most commonly used but analytically challenging plastics.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastic targets in environmental matrices using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study developed and validated a pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry protocol for quantifying common microplastic polymer types in complex environmental matrices, providing a reliable thermal analysis method for assessing microplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Science Advances 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of Microplastics by Pyrolysis Coupled with Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry in Sediments: Challenges and Implications

Researchers identified challenges in quantifying microplastics by pyrolysis-GC/MS in sediment samples, finding that incomplete matrix removal during purification can generate interfering pyrolysis products that lead to overestimation of microplastic concentrations.

2022 Microplastics 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of the Hazard of Plastic Waste for Investigation of the Possibility of Their Utilization by Thermal Methods

This study assessed the chemical hazards of plastic waste components to evaluate whether thermal treatment (such as incineration or pyrolysis) could safely process them. Understanding the toxic chemicals released during plastic waste disposal is important for minimizing environmental contamination from plastic waste management.

2021 Labour protection problems in Ukraine 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Veliu_et_al_pyGCMS_data_supplementary_material

Researchers developed and validated substrate-specific calibration curves for pyrolysis-GC/MS quantification of HDPE, PET, PP, PS, and PVC microplastics in organic-rich samples, demonstrating that matrix composition significantly affects analytical accuracy when using standard inorganic calibration matrices.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Veliu_et_al_pyGCMS_data_supplementary_material

Researchers developed and validated substrate-specific calibration curves for pyrolysis-GC/MS quantification of HDPE, PET, PP, PS, and PVC microplastics in organic-rich samples, demonstrating that matrix composition significantly affects analytical accuracy when using standard inorganic calibration matrices.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

How microplastics affect sludge pyrolysis behavior: Thermogravimetry-mass spectrum analysis and biochar characteristics

Microplastics in sewage sludge alter how the sludge burns during pyrolysis: PVC microplastics sped up decomposition while polyethylene and polypropylene slowed it down. This matters because sewage sludge from wastewater plants contains thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram, and understanding how they change the energy recovery and byproduct quality of sludge treatment helps improve the management of this widespread microplastic sink.

2023 Waste Management 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Misidentification of PVC microplastics in marine environmental samples

This review examines why PVC is consistently underreported in environmental microplastic surveys despite being the third most produced polymer in Europe, finding that UV weathering dramatically alters PVC spectral signatures and can cause misidentification as polyethylene. The authors call for inclusion of weathered PVC standards in spectroscopic reference databases used for environmental monitoring.

2022 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Quantification and Polyethylene Overestimation in Agricultural Soil Using Large-Volume Pyrolysis and TD-GC-MS/MS

Researchers developed a method for quantifying microplastics in large soil samples using pyrolysis combined with thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. They found that organic matter in agricultural soils can cause significant overestimation of polyethylene concentrations, particularly when samples are not properly pre-treated. The study emphasizes the need for careful method validation to avoid false-positive microplastic measurements in complex environmental samples.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Risks Associated with the Presence of PVC in the Environment and Methods of Its Elimination

This review summarized the environmental risks posed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, including the release of toxic additives and microplastic formation during degradation, and assessed current methods for its elimination from the environment.

2023 Preprints.org 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The Challenge of Matrix Interference in Quantitative Analysis of PM2.5 Microplastics Using Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Scientists found that a common method for detecting tiny plastic particles in air pollution can give wrong results because of chemical interference from other pollutants like salts. They developed a simple water-rinsing technique that fixes this problem and gives more accurate measurements. This matters because we need reliable ways to measure how much plastic pollution people are breathing in, which could affect our health.

2026 Atmosphere
Article Tier 2

Thermogravimetric Analysis of Rigid PVC and Animal-Origin Bio-Composite: Experimental Study and Comparative Analysis

Researchers used thermogravimetric analysis to compare the thermal degradation behavior of rigid PVC with an animal-origin biocomposite material, evaluating the biocomposite as a more sustainable alternative to conventional PVC in industrial applications.

2024 International Journal of Heat and Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic quantification using pyrolysis GC-MS: the hidden complexity

This editorial review examines the analytical challenges and hidden complexities of using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for quantifying micro- and nanoplastics in environmental samples. The authors discuss sources of measurement uncertainty, matrix interference, and the limitations of current standardization approaches that complicate accurate nanoplastic quantification by this technique.

2025 Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège)
Article Tier 2

Releases of Fire-Derived Contaminants from Water Pipes Made of Polyvinyl Chloride Polymer

Burning PVC water pipes releases a mixture of chlorinated chemicals including vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, and water leached from fire-damaged PVC pipes contained harmful compounds. This is relevant to microplastics because fires that damage plastic infrastructure create toxic contamination in drinking water and increase the risk of plastic particle ingestion.

2019 Preprints.org 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of polyethylene microplastics in environmental samples, using a thermal decomposition method

Researchers developed a thermal analysis method using pyrolysis-GC/MS to identify and quantify polyethylene microplastics in environmental samples without relying on visual sorting or density separation. The approach provides a more objective and automatable way to measure microplastic mass in complex environmental matrices.

2015 Water Research 450 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of polyurethanes within microplastics in complex environmental samples by analytical pyrolysis

Researchers developed analytical pyrolysis methods to detect and quantify polyurethane microplastics in complex environmental samples, addressing a gap in microplastic monitoring given the highly variable chemical structure of polyurethanes which makes their identification especially challenging.

2023 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 20 citations
Article Tier 2

A combined thermodesorption and pyrolysis GC–MS approach reveals fragmentation and depolymerization products during plastic biodegradation

Researchers developed an analytical method combining thermodesorption and pyrolysis GC-MS to identify the full range of degradation products when bacteria break down polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, detecting both soluble molecules and nano-scale polymer fragments. Understanding the complete spectrum of bacterial biodegradation products is essential for assessing whether microbial plastic degradation truly removes the hazard or simply converts it into different toxic forms.

2026 npj Emerging Contaminants
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in soil samples by using a thermal decomposition method

Researchers tested thermal decomposition as a method for extracting and identifying microplastics in soil samples, a particularly challenging matrix because organic matter interferes with optical detection methods. The approach showed promise for detecting and quantifying plastic content in complex soil environments.

2019 EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Releases of Fire-Derived Contaminants from Polymer Pipes Made of Polyvinyl Chloride

Fire-derived contaminants were found to be released from PVC water pipes, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic compounds, following exposure conditions simulating building fires. The findings have implications for water safety after structure fires, when plastic plumbing components may leach harmful chemicals into drinking water.

2019 Toxics 37 citations