Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sampling, separation, and characterization methodology for quantification of microplastic from the environment

This review summarizes the various methods scientists use to collect, prepare, and identify microplastics from soil, water, air, and living organisms, noting that current techniques are complex, inconsistent across studies, and cannot yet identify microplastics without removing them from their environment. Better standardized methods are needed to accurately measure human and environmental exposure to microplastics.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced Techniques for Sampling, Quantification, and Characterization of Microplastics

This review chapter covers the full workflow of microplastic analysis — from sampling strategies and extraction methods through identification, quantification, and characterization techniques — and emphasizes the need for standardized protocols across different environmental matrices and biological samples. Without consistent methods, results from different studies cannot be reliably compared, making it harder to understand the true scale of microplastic contamination. Methodological standardization is considered a foundational requirement for advancing the field.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods for sampling, processing, identification,and quantification of microplastics in the marine environment

This paper reviews and compares the various methods used to collect, process, identify, and quantify microplastics across different environmental samples. It highlights the lack of standardized protocols as a major obstacle to comparing results across studies and calls for methodological harmonization.

2020 Oceanography in Japan 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Sampling and Sample Preparation Techniques for Micro- and Nanoplastics

Scientists don't have a standard way to find and measure tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in our environment, making it hard to compare research results. This review paper examines different methods researchers use to detect these plastic particles in air, water, soil, food, and living things. Having better, consistent testing methods is important because microplastics are found throughout our environment and food chain, but we can't properly track their health effects without reliable measurement techniques.

2026
Article Tier 2

A Review of Analytical Methods Used in Microplastics Quantification

This review evaluates the various analytical methods used to detect and quantify microplastics in the environment, highlighting inconsistencies in sampling and analysis across studies. Standardizing methods is a critical priority for the field, as inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and track pollution trends over time.

2021 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation and Extraction of Microplastics from Environmental Samples: An Evaluation of Practical Approaches and Recommendations for Further Harmonization

Isolation and extraction methods for microplastics from environmental samples were evaluated and compared, tracing the evolution of methodologies from early studies in the 1970s to current approaches. The review identified persistent inconsistencies in extraction efficiency across methods as a major obstacle to comparing microplastic contamination data across studies and locations.

2020 Applied Spectroscopy 200 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microplastics characterisation in aquatic environments: recent trends in the last 10 years

This critical review assessed current approaches to characterizing microplastics in aquatic environments, evaluating sampling methods, extraction protocols, and analytical techniques. It identified persistent inconsistencies in methodology and recommended standardization practices to improve data comparability.

2024 Analytical Methods 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic content in natural waters and sediments: sampling and sample preparation

Researchers reviewed and evaluated sampling and analytical methods for measuring microplastic content in natural waters and sediments, assessing sources of error and variability in current approaches. The review recommended a standardized protocol to improve cross-study comparability.

2024 Журнал аналитической химии
Article Tier 2

Disparities in Methods Used to Determine Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: A Review of Legislation, Sampling Process and Instrumental Analysis

This review examined the wide disparities in sampling, processing, and analytical methods used across microplastic studies, highlighting how inconsistent approaches make it difficult to compare results and calling for standardized international protocols and regulatory frameworks.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 45 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of methods for measuring microplastics in aquatic environments

This review critically evaluates methods used to measure microplastics in aquatic environments, covering sampling design, sample processing, and spectroscopic identification, and identifies the most significant sources of methodological variation. Standardizing these methods is essential for generating comparable data across studies and enabling robust environmental risk assessment.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 361 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancing the quality of environmental microplastic research

This review examines the rapidly growing field of environmental microplastic research, discussing the methodological inconsistencies that limit comparability across studies and calling for improved quality standards to support robust regulatory and scientific conclusions.

2017 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 167 citations
Article Tier 2

Developmentof Standardized Methods to Extract andDigest Microplastics in Environmental Samples

Researchers reviewed and compared extraction and digestion methods for isolating microplastics from environmental samples, finding that the lack of standardization across techniques is a major barrier to producing comparable results and calling for validated universal protocols.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Microplastics Content in Natural Waters and Sediments: Sampling and Sample Preparation

This review examines the challenges of sampling and preparing water and sediment samples for microplastic analysis, highlighting the lack of standardized methods. Researchers found that differences in collection techniques, sample volumes, and processing steps make it difficult to compare results across studies. The study calls for an internationally agreed-upon analytical framework to improve the reliability and consistency of microplastic monitoring worldwide.

2024 Journal of Analytical Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Soil: a Review of Detection Methods

This review examines published approaches for detecting and identifying microplastics in soil environments, synthesizing sampling, extraction, and characterization methods to address the lack of standardization that hinders cross-study comparisons. Researchers found that unifying detection methods is essential for developing a common understanding of microplastic prevalence and impact in terrestrial ecosystems.

2024 Проблемы агрохимии и экологии
Article Tier 2

Aquatic Microplastic Research—A Critique and Suggestions for the Future

This critical review argues that microplastic research lacks standardized collection and analysis methods, making it impossible to compare data across studies. The author calls for chemical identification of polymer types, whole-water sampling, and a focus on ecological impacts rather than just documenting presence.

2020 Water 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Techniques for Collecting Micro Plastics in Freshwaters and Sediments

This review examined sampling methods used across 150 studies on microplastics in freshwater bodies and sediments, finding significant variation in sampling tools, mesh sizes, and analytical approaches that make it difficult to compare results across studies. Standardizing sampling and analysis protocols is one of the most pressing needs in microplastic research. Without comparable methods, it is difficult to assess the true extent of freshwater microplastic contamination globally.

2021 Journal of Marine Biology & Oceanography
Article Tier 2

Extraction and detection methods of microplastics in food and marine systems: A critical review

This critical review evaluates the various methods used to extract and detect microplastics in food and marine samples, from sample preparation to analytical identification. Researchers found significant inconsistencies across studies in how microplastics are separated, quantified, and characterized, making it difficult to compare results. The study calls for standardized protocols to enable more reliable assessments of microplastic contamination in food and the environment.

2021 Chemosphere 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an emerging hazard to terrestrial and marine ecosystems: Sources, Occurrence and Analytical Methods

This review summarized the sources, occurrence, and detection methods for microplastics across multiple environmental compartments, noting that methodological limitations make comparison across studies difficult. The review calls for standardized analytical approaches to better quantify global microplastic contamination.

2021 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the environment: Challenges in analytical chemistry - A review

This review examined the analytical chemistry challenges of detecting and characterizing microplastics in environmental samples, highlighting ongoing issues with standardization, method sensitivity, and comparability across studies.

2018 Analytica Chimica Acta 807 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying micro- and nanoplastics

This work addresses methodological approaches for quantifying micro- and nanoplastics in environmental samples, examining analytical techniques, sampling strategies, and measurement challenges. The publication is part of the international research literature on standardizing plastic particle detection and quantification methods.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Sample Collection, Preparation, and Identification of Microplastics in Soil: Issues and Recommendations

An evaluation of microplastic sampling and identification protocols from 39 global soil studies found major inconsistencies in sample collection strategies, preparation methods, and detection techniques, and proposed standardized recommendations to improve data comparability.

2025 Sustainability Sciences in Asia and Africa
Article Tier 2

An Introduction to Microplastics, and Its Sampling Processes and Assessment Techniques

This book chapter introduces microplastics — their definitions, environmental prevalence, and health risks — and surveys current methods for collecting and analyzing environmental samples. It serves as a practical primer on sampling and detection techniques, which is foundational for standardizing the science needed to assess human and ecological exposure.

2023
Article Tier 2

Research Progress of Detection Methods for Microplastics

This review summarizes physical, chemical, and biological methods used to detect microplastics in environmental samples, comparing the advantages and limitations of each approach. Improving detection methods is essential for generating reliable data to support environmental protection strategies against microplastic pollution.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics
Review Tier 2

Recovering microplastics from marine samples: A review of current practices

This review compared the published methods for separating and identifying microplastics from seawater, sediment, and marine organisms, assessing their efficiency, processing time, and potential to damage particles. It highlights the lack of standardized protocols as a major barrier to comparing results across studies.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 254 citations