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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Preparation of polystyrene microplastic particles by solvent-dissolution-precipitation
ClearParticle Size and Pre-Treatment Effects on Polystyrene Microplastic Settlement in Water: Implications for Environmental Behavior and Ecotoxicological Tests
How polystyrene microplastics are prepared for lab tests — including shaking or ultrasonic treatment — significantly affects particle size distributions and thus experimental outcomes. Standardizing sample preparation is critical for producing reproducible and comparable microplastic research results.
Engineered Polystyrene-Based Microplastics of High Environmental Relevance
Researchers developed a method for creating laboratory microplastic particles that more closely resemble the weathered, environmentally relevant microplastics found in nature. They demonstrated that standard pristine microplastic beads used in most toxicity studies have very different surface properties than real-world particles, which may lead to inaccurate risk assessments. The study provides the research community with more realistic test materials for studying the true environmental and health impacts of microplastic pollution.
A novel proof of concept approach towards generating reference microplastic particles
Researchers developed a new method for creating standardized reference microplastic particles that can be embedded in a dissolvable matrix in precise, known quantities. Current microplastic research suffers from a lack of consistent reference standards, making it difficult to compare results across different laboratories and methods. The approach could significantly improve the quality and comparability of microplastic measurements in environmental studies.
Iced block method: An efficient method for preparation of micro-sized expanded polystyrene foams
Researchers developed a new method for producing micro-sized expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam particles in the lab, enabling better-controlled experiments on EPS microplastic toxicity and environmental behavior. EPS foam is widely found in the environment but has been understudied compared to other microplastic types.
An assessment of methods used for the generation and characterization of cryomilled polystyrene micro- and nanoplastic particles
Researchers evaluated cryomilling as a method for generating environmentally realistic microplastic and nanoplastic particles from polystyrene for use in laboratory studies. They found that increasing the number of milling cycles consistently produced smaller particles without altering the polymer's chemical composition. The study provides optimized protocols for creating heterogeneous test particles that more closely resemble the microplastics found in real environmental samples.
Preparation of Nanoscale Particles of Five Major Polymers as Potential Standards for the Study of Nanoplastics
Researchers developed a precipitation-based method for preparing nanoscale particles of five major polymers, creating standardized reference materials needed for studying nanoplastic distribution and toxicity in the environment.
Addressing the relevance of polystyrene nano- and microplastic particles used to support exposure, toxicity and risk assessment: implications and recommendations
This paper raises important concerns about how most microplastic safety studies use commercially manufactured polystyrene beads that differ significantly from the weathered, irregular plastic particles people actually encounter in the environment. The uniform lab beads have different shapes, surface chemistry, and chemical compositions than real-world microplastics, which means current toxicity studies may not accurately represent the true health risks of environmental plastic exposure.
The challenge in preparing particle suspensions for aquatic microplastic research
Researchers systematically evaluated methods for preparing microplastic particle suspensions for laboratory studies, finding that cryogenic ball milling effectively produces particles in the 1–200 µm range and that ozone treatment stabilizes polystyrene suspensions by reducing wall-creep effects, though it alters dissolved organic carbon levels and particle size distribution.
Unveiling the Environmental Characteristics of Sub-1000-nm Nanoplastics: A Comprehensive Review of the Preparation Methods for Nanoplastic Model Samples
This review addresses the challenge of creating realistic nanoplastic samples for lab research, since most studies have only used polystyrene spheres that do not represent the diverse shapes and types of nanoplastics found in the real environment. Better lab models are essential for accurately understanding the health risks these tiny plastic particles pose to humans.
Quality-by-design and current good practices for the production of test and reference materials for micro- and nano-plastic research
Researchers outlined best practices for producing standardized reference materials used in micro- and nanoplastic research, covering both top-down fragmentation and bottom-up precipitation methods. They provided examples using common polymers like polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and PET across different size ranges. The study addresses a critical need in the field, since reliable reference materials are essential for validating the analytical methods used to detect and measure plastic pollution.
Defining the size ranges of polystyrene nanoplastics according to their ability to cross biological barriers
Researchers systematically examined polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes to define the size ranges at which they can cross biological barriers, providing a more precise definition of nanoplastic dimensions relevant to toxicological assessment.
Preparation of block copolymer-stabilised microspheres of common polymers and their use as microplastics proxies in degradation studies
Researchers developed a simple method to produce standardized model microplastic particles made from common polymers for use in laboratory degradation studies. Reliable model microplastics are essential for consistent research into how different plastic types break down in the environment and affect living organisms.
Evaluating the influence of polystyrene standards on quantification in environmental samples
Researchers tested how different types and molecular weights of polystyrene standards affect the accuracy of a common analytical method used to measure microplastics in environmental samples. They found that the choice of standard material can significantly over- or underestimate actual microplastic concentrations, with low-molecular-weight standards causing the most inaccurate readings. The study calls for greater standardization in analytical methods to ensure reliable microplastic measurements across studies.
Preparation of Nanoplastic Particles as Potential Standards for the Study of Nanoplastics
Researchers developed methods to prepare well-defined nanoplastic particles as potential reference standards for nanoplastic research, addressing the critical shortage of reliable materials for toxicity studies and analytical method validation. The study characterized the size, shape, and surface properties of the produced particles to confirm their suitability as standards.
Quantitation of polystyrene by pyrolysis-GC-MS: The impact of polymer standards on micro and nanoplastic analysis
Researchers evaluated how the choice of polystyrene reference standard affects the accuracy of a key method (Pyrolysis-GC-MS) used to detect and measure microplastics and nanoplastics, finding that different standards with varying molecular structures produce substantially different results for the same sample. This highlights an urgent need for standardized reference materials to make microplastic measurement methods more reliable and comparable across labs.
Size-Controlled Preparation of Polyethylene Nanoplastic Particles by Nanoprecipitation and Insights into the Underlying Mechanisms
Researchers developed a size-controlled method for preparing polyethylene nanoplastic model particles using nanoprecipitation, investigating how polymer solution concentration and volume affect particle size. The study provides a reliable approach for producing well-characterized polyolefin nanoplastics for use in toxicological and environmental research, addressing the previous lack of appropriate model particles for studying the risks of these prevalent plastic contaminants.
A novel proof of concept approach towards generating reference microplastic particles
This paper presented a proof-of-concept approach for generating standardized reference microplastic particles to improve comparability across analytical methods. The lack of consistent reference materials has been a key barrier to producing reliable and comparable microplastic research data.
Trace analysis of polystyrene microplastics in natural waters
Researchers developed and evaluated analytical methods for trace-level quantification of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics in natural water samples, addressing key challenges in sensitivity and accuracy that limit realistic environmental risk assessment.
Preparation of Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Environmental Relevance Using a Gradual Degradation Method.
Researchers prepared polystyrene nanoparticles of environmental relevance using a gradual degradation method that simulates natural weathering conditions, finding that nanofragment size evolved dynamically from below 250 nm at 3 days to 300-500 nm at 6 days before forming two sub-200 nm peaks at 9 days.
Protocol for the production of micro- and nanoplastic test materials
Scientists created a standardized protocol for producing well-characterized micro and nanoplastic test materials from polypropylene and PVC for use in health research. Current studies often use commercially available plastic beads that do not resemble real-world microplastics, making results hard to interpret. Having realistic, standardized test materials will improve the quality and comparability of future research on microplastic health effects.
A New Class of Reference Material: Additivly Manufactured Monodisperse Number Accurate Microplastic Reference Material through Microextrusion
Researchers developed a new method for producing microplastic reference materials with precise, known sizes and quantities — a critical need for standardizing how scientists measure and compare microplastics across different studies. Using a microextrusion process with specialized nozzles, they produced batches of 1,000 uniform particles in about one hour from a range of plastics including LDPE, nylon, PLA, and PMMA, with particle diameters between 224 and 1,349 micrometers. Lack of standardized reference materials has been a persistent bottleneck in microplastics research; having reliable, reproducible standards will improve the quality and comparability of future studies. This is a technical but important methodological advance for the field.
Development of new microplastic reference particles for usage in pre-defined numbers
This study developed new microplastic reference particles with defined numbers of particles per unit, addressing the lack of standardized reference materials that has hampered comparability across microplastic research studies and analytical methods.
Preparation of Block Copolymer-Stabilized Microspheres from Commercial Plastics and Their Use as Microplastic Proxies in Degradation Studies
Researchers developed a simple one-pot method to produce sub-10 micrometer plastic microspheres from common commercial plastics including PET, PLA, and polyethylene, stabilized with a polymer coating so they can be dried and re-dispersed in water. These standardized particles are intended as reproducible proxy materials for laboratory studies of microplastic behavior and degradation. Having well-characterized, consistent reference microplastics is important for making experimental results comparable across research groups studying microplastic risks.
Nanoplastics in the oceans: Theory, experimental evidence and real world
Researchers critically review over 200 studies on nanoplastic pollution — focusing predominantly on polystyrene — synthesizing knowledge on how nanoplastics form from polymer degradation, accumulate in seawater, and affect organisms in controlled conditions, while identifying key methodological standards needed for reliable ecotoxicological assessments.