Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Pyr-GC-Orbitrap-MS method for the target/untargeted analysis of microplastics in air

Researchers developed a pyrolysis-gas chromatography method coupled with Orbitrap mass spectrometry for detecting microplastics in air samples. The technique was optimized for ten common plastic polymers and achieved detection limits in the low microgram range. The study demonstrates that this analytical approach can identify both known and unknown plastic polymers in airborne particulate matter.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Detemination of Airborne Microplastics using LC-MS/MS

Researchers developed and validated an LC-MS/MS method for quantifying airborne microplastics, demonstrating that liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry can provide sensitive and specific identification of plastic polymers in atmospheric particulate samples.

2024
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

Microplastics analysis in environmental samples – recent pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method improvements to increase the reliability of mass-related data

This study improved pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) methods for measuring mass-related microplastic data in environmental samples, enhancing reliability and sensitivity for trace-level analysis. Better analytical methods are essential for accurately quantifying microplastic contamination across diverse environmental matrices.

2019 Analytical Methods 224 citations
Article Tier 2

Into the Nanograms─Sensitive Detection of Microplastics in Passively Sampled Indoor Air Using F-Splitless Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a highly sensitive method for detecting airborne microplastics in indoor air at the nanogram level using advanced pyrolysis gas chromatography. The study suggests this technique can rapidly identify and quantify microplastics on air sampling filters with minimal preparation, making it easier for scientists to measure the scale of indoor microplastic exposure.

2024 ACS ES&T Air 8 citations
Article Tier 2

A Novel Strategy to Directly Quantify Polyethylene Microplastics in PM2.5 Based on Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a new method using pyrolysis gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to directly measure polyethylene microplastics in fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5). This technique overcomes limitations of visual and spectroscopic methods that struggle to detect very small plastic particles in air samples. The study provides one of the first tools for accurately quantifying microplastics in PM2.5, helping researchers better understand the extent of airborne plastic pollution.

2023 Analytical Chemistry 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of an analytical method for the analysis of microplastics by Pyrolysis-GC/MS : application on Seine River sediments

Researchers developed and validated an analytical method using pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) for quantifying microplastics in complex environmental matrices, applying it to Seine River sediment samples rich in mineral and organic matter. They found that Py-GC/MS effectively determined mass concentrations of target polymers and proved complementary to micro-FTIR, though interfering compounds from organic-rich matrices required careful method optimization.

2024 theses.fr (ABES)
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS

Researchers developed analytical methods using pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for identifying and quantifying 12 common plastic polymers in environmental samples. The validated method achieved detection limits as low as 0.1 micrograms and was successfully applied to analyze microplastics collected from three Mediterranean beaches in northeastern Spain.

2023 MethodsX 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Identification by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (py-GCMS)

This paper reviews pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) as a method for identifying and quantifying microplastics in environmental samples. The technique can identify specific polymer types even in complex environmental matrices where visual identification is difficult.

2019
Article Tier 2

Evidence and Mass Quantification of Atmospheric Microplastics in a Coastal New Zealand City

Researchers quantified atmospheric microplastic deposition in Auckland, New Zealand, combining fluorescence microscopy with pyrolysis-GC/MS to determine both particle counts and mass concentrations of specific polymers in airborne samples.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of synthetic polymers in ambient aerosols by Curie Point Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Researchers used pyrolysis-based gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect and quantify synthetic polymers and tire wear particles in ambient urban air. The study confirmed that multiple plastic types circulate as airborne particles in cities, contributing to human inhalation exposure on a daily basis.

2023
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics: a sampling and analytical method including the associated measurement uncertainties

Researchers developed a tailored analytical chain for atmospheric microplastic sampling — including collection, processing, and optical microscopy-based analysis — and applied it to quantify atmospheric deposition of microplastics and assess the atmosphere as a vector of global microplastic distribution.

2025
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

Size-resolved identification and quantification of micro/nano-plastics in indoor air using pyrolysis gas chromatography-ion mobility mass spectrometry

A novel pyrolysis gas chromatographic cyclic ion mobility mass spectrometer method was developed to identify and quantify micro- and nanoplastics smaller than 1 micrometer in indoor air, finding four common plastic types in tested samples.

2023 3 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

Determination of the microplastic content in Mediterranean benthic macrofauna by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Researchers developed an analytical method combining pyrolysis with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS/MS) for quantifying six common plastic polymers in Mediterranean benthic macrofauna with minimal sample preparation. The method achieved lower detection limits than conventional Py-GC/MS for six polymers including polyethylene and polypropylene, enabling more sensitive monitoring of MP contamination in seafloor organisms.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the environment: Sampling, pretreatment, analysis and occurrence based on current and newly-exploited chromatographic approaches

This review comprehensively examined sampling, pretreatment, and chromatographic analysis methods for microplastics in environmental matrices, evaluating conventional and newly developed approaches and identifying liquid chromatography and pyrolysis-GC/MS as the most promising platforms for chemical characterization of complex microplastic mixtures.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastics in environmental samples via pressurized liquid extraction and pyrolysis-gas chromatography

Researchers combined pressurized liquid extraction with pyrolysis-gas chromatography to quantify microplastics in environmental samples, validating the method against reference materials and real-world samples. The approach offers a quantitative, polymer-specific measurement of bulk microplastic mass in sediments and soils, complementing particle-counting methods.

2019 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 313 citations
Article Tier 2

Systematic Development of a Simultaneous Determination of Plastic Particle Identity and Adsorbed Organic Compounds by Thermodesorption–Pyrolysis GC/MS (TD-Pyr-GC/MS)

Researchers developed a new pyrolysis-based analytical method that can simultaneously identify the polymer type and measure adsorbed organic pollutants on plastic particles in a single step. This combined approach removes the need for complex extraction steps and could simplify the detection of plastic-associated chemical contaminants in environmental samples.

2020 Molecules 37 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel online method for the detection, analysis, and classification of airborne microplastics

Researchers developed an online method for real-time detection, analysis, and automated classification of airborne microplastics, enabling continuous monitoring of plastic particle concentrations and polymer types in ambient air without the time-consuming sample preparation required by conventional methods.

2023 3 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

A novel method for the quantification of tire and polymer-modified bitumen particles in environmental samples by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy

Researchers developed a novel pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry method for quantifying tire and polymer-modified bitumen particles in environmental samples, improving the detection of what may be the largest source of microplastic pollution.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 108 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

In situ chemical characterization of airborne nanoplastic particles by aerosol mass spectrometry

Researchers used aerosol mass spectrometry to chemically characterize airborne nanoplastic particles in real time in urban air. They detected multiple polymer types including polyethylene and polystyrene at concentrations that varied with location and weather conditions. This approach enables in situ monitoring of atmospheric nanoplastics without sample collection, advancing understanding of human inhalation exposure.

2023