Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Plastic breeze: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by degrading macro- and microplastics analyzed by selected ion flow-tube mass spectrometry

This study used mass spectrometry to analyze volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by degrading macro- and microplastics of different polymer types, finding that weathered plastics emit a complex mixture of potentially toxic gases. Plastic pollution not only contaminates ecosystems through particles but also through the release of harmful chemical vapors as plastics age and break down.

2020 Chemosphere 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Static headspace-gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the assessment of the bioaccumulation of volatile organic compounds associated with microplastics in animal tissues

Researchers developed an analytical method using headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to detect volatile organic compounds that migrate from microplastics into animal tissues. The technique demonstrated high sensitivity and precision while requiring minimal sample handling. The methodology provides a valuable tool for understanding how chemical compounds associated with microplastics accumulate in living organisms.

2024 Analytica Chimica Acta 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemical Characterization of Human Body Odor Headspace Components

Researchers characterized volatile organic compounds in human body odor using a chamber-based approach with SPME extraction. The study identified 105 compounds across participants and found gender-based differences in odor profiles, contributing to analytical chemistry methods that can also be applied to detecting chemical contaminants including plastic-derived compounds.

2024 Separations 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancing microplastic and associated pollutants detection: A comprehensive review on high-sensitivity analysis using mass spectrometry techniques

This review evaluates mass spectrometry techniques for detecting microplastics and the toxic pollutants they carry, including trace metals and volatile organic compounds. Advanced approaches like gold nanoparticle labeling and laser-based mapping are enabling researchers to better understand how microplastics act as transport vehicles for harmful substances in both environmental and biological samples.

2025 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Xenovolatilomic profiling of Hass avocado ( Persea americana Mill.) tissues exposed to endosulfan: identification of potential toxicity biomarkers

Researchers applied xenovolatilomic profiling using GC-MS to identify potential toxicity biomarkers in Hass avocado tissues exposed to the pesticide endosulfan. The study explored biochemical alterations through volatile organic compound profiling, offering insights into how persistent organic pollutants affect plant biochemistry.

2025 Sustainable Food Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Chromatographic developments for the analysis of toxic organic chemicals in the environment and food samples

This review examines advances in chromatographic methods for analyzing toxic organic chemicals including microplastic-associated compounds, evaluating improvements in separation efficiency, detection sensitivity, and multi-analyte capability for environmental and food safety monitoring.

2025 Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Textiles: Insights from GC–MS with Metal Content Assessment Using ICP-MS

Researchers applied headspace GC-MS and ICP-MS to analyze volatile organic compounds and trace metals in textile samples of different origins and compositions. PCA distinguished textiles by chemical profile with origin, revealing distinct VOC signatures from Asian and European textiles and detecting hazardous compounds including phthalates and chlorophenols, with implications for textile chemical safety and microplastic-associated chemical release.

2025 Applied Sciences 4 citations
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

Visualization and (Semi-)quantification of submicrometer plastics through scanning electron microscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Researchers combined scanning electron microscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to detect and semi-quantify submicron plastic particles from 195 nm upward, demonstrating the method on teabag leachates and showing it can distinguish multiple polymer types in complex mixtures.

2022 Environmental Pollution 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the fate of microplastic leachable compounds: a fast screening using ambient pressure ionization

Researchers developed a fast screening approach using ambient pressure ionization mass spectrometry to identify leachable chemical compounds released from plastic, micro-, and nanoplastic particles, focusing on additives such as plasticizers that are often overlooked in microplastic pollution research. The study aimed to improve understanding of the chemical hazards associated with plastic-derived compounds beyond the particles themselves.

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

Recent Trends in Chemical Sensors for Detecting Toxic Materials

This review covers recent advances in chemical sensors for detecting toxic substances, including improvements in nanomaterial-based, optical, and electrochemical sensing technologies. While focused broadly on toxic chemical detection, the sensor technologies described are increasingly being adapted to detect microplastics in environmental samples. Better detection tools are essential for understanding how much microplastic contamination exists in water, food, and air.

2024 Sensors 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Chasing Pollutants Concerning Public Health: From Food to Smoke

This analytical chemistry review covers sample preparation methods for detecting trace-level pollutants across diverse matrices including food, biological tissues, plants, and environmental samples. While microplastics are one category of pollutant addressed in such analytical workflows, this paper focuses broadly on multi-pollutant detection methodology rather than microplastics specifically, making it only tangentially relevant.

2023
Article Tier 2

Mass spectrometry-based multimodal approaches for the identification and quantification analysis of microplastics in food matrix

This review examines mass spectrometry techniques for identifying and measuring microplastics in food, covering methods that analyze both the chemical composition and quantity of plastic particles. The study suggests these advanced analytical approaches could help bridge the gap between environmental monitoring and understanding actual human exposure levels. Better measurement tools are needed to assess how much microplastic people are consuming through their diet.

2023 Frontiers in Nutrition 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Coating-Based Quartz Crystal Microbalance Detection Methods of Environmentally Relevant Volatile Organic Compounds

This review described quartz crystal microbalance sensor platforms coated with selective materials for detecting volatile organic compounds in air, comparing different coating chemistries and highlighting their potential for low-cost, portable environmental monitoring.

2021 Chemosensors 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Applications of Mass Spectrometry for Emerging Contaminants

This review covers how mass spectrometry, a powerful analytical technique, is being used to detect and measure emerging contaminants including microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment. Advances in this technology are enabling researchers to identify smaller plastic particles and trace the chemical additives they carry, which is critical for understanding human exposure risks.

2025 Molecules 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Release of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from photo-degraded plastic debris: A neglected source of environmental pollution

Researchers investigated the release of volatile organic compounds from common plastic polymers including polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene during artificial UV aging. The study found that photo-degraded plastics release harmful VOCs, identifying this as a neglected source of environmental pollution that could pose risks to both ecosystems and human health as plastic debris weathers in the environment.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 218 citations
Article Tier 2

Mass spectrometry as a powerful analytical tool for the characterization of indoor airborne microplastics and nanoplastics

This review covers recent mass spectrometry-based analytical methods for determining the size, chemical identity, and quantity of microplastics and nanoplastics in indoor air and dust. It highlights how advances in single-particle mass spectrometry are enabling more sensitive detection of nano-sized plastic fragments in indoor environments.

2021 Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic quantification in environmental samples with complex organic matrices by diffusion NMR

Researchers applied diffusion NMR spectroscopy to quantify microplastics in environmental samples with complex organic matrices, demonstrating the technique's capacity to characterize polymer types in difficult real-world sample conditions where existing methods fall short.

2025 Chemosphere
Review Tier 2

A review on microplastics: sources, environmental fate, degradation pathways, and analytical identification methods.

This review paper summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles called microplastics and how scientists detect them in the environment. Microplastics are a growing concern because they contaminate our air, water, and food, potentially affecting human health when we breathe or eat them. The researchers found that new, cheaper detection methods could help us better monitor these plastic particles and understand their impact on our health and environment.

2026 RSC advances
Article Tier 2

The Detection of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Using Volatile Metabolites in Fecal Headspace and Exhaled Breath

This paper is not about microplastic pollution. It investigates using volatile organic compounds in breath and stool samples to detect primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It has no connection to microplastics and is a false positive in this dataset.

2023 Metabolites 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-Resolved Identification and Quantification of Micro/Nanoplastics in Indoor Air Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography–Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

Scientists developed a new method to measure micro and nanoplastics in indoor air down to 56 nanometers in size, using advanced mass spectrometry techniques. They found significant concentrations of plastic particles in both a laboratory and a private home, with polystyrene being the most common type, and also detected flame retardant chemicals associated with plastic furniture foam. This study provides some of the first evidence that people are breathing in substantial amounts of nanoscale plastic particles indoors, where most people spend the majority of their time.

2024 Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics from plastic manufacturing industry: Concentrations and characterisation using Py-GC/MS and hyperspectral analysis

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in a plastic manufacturing facility and found the highest concentrations in the crushing workshop, with levels reaching 43.57 micrograms per cubic meter. Workers in crushing operations were identified as the highest-exposure group, with an estimated annual inhalation of approximately 117 milligrams of microplastics. The study highlights that occupational exposure in plastic manufacturing is a significant and underrecognized source of microplastic inhalation.

2025 Environment International 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Into the Multiverse: Analysis of microplastic leachates using comprehensive multi-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Researchers applied comprehensive multidimensional chromatography to identify the full range of chemical leachates released by plastics and microplastics in marine environments. The multi-technique approach revealed a far larger diversity of leaching compounds than targeted analyses alone would detect.

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

Advances in Materials and Technologies for Gas Sensing from Environmental and Food Monitoring to Breath Analysis

This review examines recent advances in gas sensing materials and technologies across environmental monitoring, food quality control, and medical breath analysis applications. Researchers highlight how nanostructured and composite sensing materials are enabling improved device performance and opening new application areas. The study discusses emerging trends in sensor development that could impact environmental pollution detection and healthcare diagnostics.

2022 Advanced Sustainable Systems 68 citations