Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Characterization of Nanoparticles in Drinking Water Using Field-Flow Fractionation Coupled with Multi-Angle Light Scattering and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed methods using field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering and mass spectrometry to characterize nanoparticles in drinking water. The study addresses the lack of standardized techniques for detecting submicrometer particles, including nanoplastics, highlighting the need for better analytical tools to monitor emerging water contaminants.

2024 Water 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrating AF4 and Py-GC-MS for Combined Size-Resolved Polymer-Compositional Analysis of Nanoplastics with Application to Wastewater

This study combined asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation with multiangle light scattering and pyrolysis-GC-MS in an offline workflow to simultaneously characterize nanoplastic size distribution (down to ~1 nm) and polymer composition in wastewater, offering a new standard-compatible approach for environmental nanoplastic analysis.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The power of a multi-technique approach for the reliable quantification of microplastics in water

Researchers applied a multi-technique analytical approach combining several spectroscopic and microscopic methods to improve the reliability of microplastic quantification in environmental samples. The combined approach reduced false positives and improved polymer identification accuracy compared to any single method used alone.

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

Identification and Quantification of Nanoplastics in Surface Water and Groundwater by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a method combining ultrafiltration and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify and quantify nanoplastics in surface water and groundwater. The study successfully detected six types of plastic polymers at the nanoscale in environmental water samples, providing much-needed quantitative data on nanoplastic pollution in real-world water sources.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 210 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-classifiable quantification of nanoplastic by rate zonal centrifugation coupled with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Researchers combined rate-zonal centrifugation with pyrolysis-GC-MS to separately quantify nanoplastics of three distinct size classes (100, 300, and 600 nm) in water samples with high recovery rates (81–89%), providing a scalable analytical method for size-resolved environmental nanoplastic monitoring.

2024 Analytica Chimica Acta 6 citations
Article Tier 2

IntegratingAF4 and Py-GC-MS for Combined Size-ResolvedPolymer-Compositional Analysis of Nanoplastics with Application toWastewater

Researchers developed a novel workflow for nanoplastic characterization in environmental water samples by integrating asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation with multiangle light scattering (AF4-MALS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) in an offline combination. This approach enables simultaneous size-resolved and polymer-compositional analysis of nanoplastics in wastewater, addressing the lack of standardized methods for this challenging contaminant class.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Identification of Microplastics in Drinking Water Using Pyrolysis-GC/MS

Researchers used pyrolysis-GC/MS to identify and quantify microplastics by polymer mass (rather than particle count) in drinking water samples. The method detected multiple polymer types and provided mass-based metrics that are more toxicologically relevant than particle counts commonly reported in water quality studies.

2025 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Cloud-Point Extraction Combined with Thermal Degradation for Nanoplastic Analysis Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a cloud-point extraction method combined with pyrolysis GC-MS to detect and quantify nanoplastics in aqueous samples, achieving detection of particles smaller than those typically measurable with conventional microplastic methods. The technique addresses a critical analytical gap in understanding nanoplastic contamination in water environments.

2018 Analytical Chemistry 202 citations
Article Tier 2

Physicochemical characterization and quantification of nanoplastics: applicability, limitations and complementarity of batch and fractionation methods

Researchers evaluated a suite of techniques for measuring the size, shape, and chemical makeup of nanoplastics — plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer — and found that no single method works for all sample types, especially when particles vary in size or clump together. Combining multiple complementary techniques is essential for reliable nanoplastic characterization, particularly in complex environmental or biological samples.

2023 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 56 citations
Article Tier 2

An effective solution to simultaneously analyze size, mass and number concentration of polydisperse nanoplastics in a biological matrix: asymmetrical flow field fractionation coupled with a diode array detector and multiangle light scattering

Researchers developed an asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation method coupled with a diode array detector and multiangle light scattering to simultaneously measure the size, mass, and number concentration of polydisperse nanoplastics in biological matrices, providing a more accurate tool for assessing nanoplastic pollution levels.

2021 RSC Advances 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Simultaneous Trace Identification and Quantification of Common Types of Microplastics in Environmental Samples by Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a method for simultaneous trace identification and quantification of common microplastic types in environmental samples, improving detection efficiency and enabling more accurate monitoring of multiple plastic polymers at once.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 589 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative analysis of nanoplastics in environmental and potable waters by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Scientists developed and validated a new method to detect and measure nine types of nanoplastics in drinking and environmental water at very low concentrations. They found nanoplastics in every water sample tested, with polyethylene, PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene being the most common at levels up to 1.17 micrograms per liter. This is one of the first studies to quantify nanoplastics in drinking water, confirming that people are regularly exposed through their tap water.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 154 citations
Article Tier 2

A systematic protocol of microplastics analysis from their identification to quantification in water environment: A comprehensive review

This review provides a systematic protocol for identifying and quantifying microplastics in water environments, covering sampling, extraction, and analytical techniques. Researchers evaluate the strengths and limitations of methods including visual sorting, spectroscopic analysis, and thermal techniques for characterizing microplastic pollution. The study emphasizes the urgent need for standardized methodologies to enable meaningful comparisons across different microplastic research studies.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Monitoring Technologies and Methods for Micro Plastics in Water as Novel Pollutants

This review surveys the range of technologies currently available for detecting and monitoring microplastics in water, including spectroscopic, microscopic, and chemical identification methods, outlining the strengths and limitations of each. Consistent and effective monitoring is identified as essential for controlling microplastic pollution, yet no single approach yet meets all needs across diverse water types and concentrations. The paper calls for stronger monitoring frameworks to support both research and regulatory decision-making on microplastic contamination.

2024 Scalable Computing Practice and Experience 2 citations
Article Tier 2

New method for separating and online detecting polydisperse mixed nanoplastics

Researchers optimized an asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation method coupled with UV detection to separate and quantify mixed nanoplastics between 20 and 200 nm in a single run, achieving high recovery rates and low detection limits across multiple polymer types and real water sample conditions.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Protein Corona-Mediated Extraction for Quantitative Analysis of Nanoplastics in Environmental Waters by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed a new method for detecting and measuring nanoplastics in environmental water samples using a protein-based extraction technique paired with specialized mass spectrometry. The approach works by adding a protein that naturally coats nanoplastic particles, which can then be separated from the water and analyzed. Using this method, researchers detected nanoplastics in both river water and wastewater treatment plant samples, demonstrating a practical tool for monitoring these tiny but potentially harmful contaminants.

2021 Analytical Chemistry 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimization, performance, and application of a pyrolysis-GC/MS method for the identification of microplastics

Researchers optimized a pyrolysis-GC/MS method for identifying and quantifying microplastics in environmental samples, improving the reliability of polymer identification especially for small particles that are difficult to classify visually. The improved method is particularly valuable for analyzing the smallest microplastic size fractions that dominate by number in marine environments.

2018 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 329 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive toolkit for micro- to nanoplastic analysis

This review presents a unified analytical toolkit integrating mass-based, particle-based, and morphology-based approaches to enable reliable detection, quantification, and standardization of micro- and nanoplastics across diverse environmental matrices. The framework is intended to improve comparability across studies and support robust monitoring of plastic pollution.

2025 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Detection of trace sub-micron (nano) plastics in water samples using pyrolysis-gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (PY-GCToF).

Researchers evaluated pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry combined with thermal extraction-desorption for detecting sub-micron and nano-sized plastics in water samples, finding it could identify plastic polymers at low concentrations. The method addresses a key gap in detecting the smallest plastic particles in aqueous environments.

2020 Chemosphere 159 citations
Article Tier 2

Closing the gap between small and smaller: towards a framework to analyse nano- and microplastics in aqueous environmental samples

This paper proposes an analytical framework for measuring both nano- and microplastics across a broad size spectrum in water samples, addressing the gap between methods optimized for either large microplastics or nanoparticles. A unified size-spanning approach is needed to fully characterize plastic pollution in aquatic environments where particles across many orders of magnitude coexist.

2018 Environmental Science Nano 316 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid, sensitive, and non-destructive on-site quantitative detection of nanoplastics in aquatic environments using laser-backscattered fiber-embedded optofluidic chip

Researchers built a laser-backscattered optofluidic chip that rapidly and non-destructively detects and quantifies multiple nanoplastic polymer types in aquatic samples down to 0.23 µg/mL, validated across real-world water environments with high reproducibility.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Batch analysis of microplastics in water using multi-angle static light scattering and chemometric methods

This study presents a batch analysis approach using multi-angle light scattering combined with chemometrics to measure microplastic size and concentration in water samples more quickly than single-particle methods. Faster analytical approaches are needed to scale up environmental microplastic monitoring.

2022 Analytical Methods 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Current techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing micro and nanoplastics with emphasis on strengths, limitations, and challenges

Researchers reviewed current analytical techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing micro- and nanoplastics across environmental matrices. The review highlights the strengths and limitations of methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS, and calls for standardization to improve comparability across studies.

2025 Discover Environment
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Identification in Complex Environmental Matrices: Strategies for Polystyrene and Polypropylene

Researchers developed and compared analytical strategies for detecting and identifying polystyrene and polypropylene nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices, evaluating techniques including pyrolysis-GC/MS, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, and proposing a multi-method workflow for environmental samples.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 103 citations