Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A new analytical approach for monitoring microplastics in marine sediments

Researchers developed a new analytical approach for monitoring microplastics specifically in marine sediments, improving extraction and identification steps to enable more reliable and standardized environmental monitoring of seafloor contamination.

2013 Environmental Pollution 1349 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling microplastic with polyethylene (PE) spherical particles: a differential scanning calorimetry approach for quantification

Researchers developed a thermal analysis approach to detect and quantify polyethylene microplastics in environmental samples, offering an alternative to optical methods. Accurate quantification tools are essential for understanding the true scale of microplastic contamination in soil and water.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative analysis of microplastics in beach sand via low-temperature solvent extraction and thermal degradation: Effects of particle size and sample depth

Researchers developed a method combining solvent extraction and thermal analysis to precisely measure microplastic content in beach sand at different depths and size fractions. They found that the finest particles, which are often missed by standard methods, contained significant concentrations of polyester and polystyrene. The study highlights that current sampling approaches may substantially underestimate the true amount of microplastic pollution on beaches.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

An overview of microplastics characterization by thermal analysis

This review explores the potential of thermal analytical techniques - including thermogravimetry and pyrolysis-GC/MS - for identifying and characterizing microplastics in environmental samples, covering both manufactured primary microplastics and degradation-derived secondary ones. Thermal methods offer advantages for bulk quantification and polymer identification that complement spectroscopic approaches.

2019 Chemosphere 213 citations
Article Tier 2

Regression analysis for the determination of microplastics in sediments using differential scanning calorimetry

Researchers developed a differential scanning calorimetry method for rapid identification and quantification of microplastics in sediment samples. The study demonstrated that this thermo-analytical approach could detect multiple polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET in sand samples, offering a faster and more cost-efficient alternative to traditional microplastic analysis methods.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of multi-step approach for comprehensive identification of microplastic particles in diverse sediment samples

Researchers developed a multi-step analytical approach to comprehensively identify and characterize microplastics in environmental samples, combining visual, spectroscopic, and thermal analysis. A systematic, multi-method approach is needed to capture the full diversity of microplastic types present in complex environmental matrices.

2020 Water Science & Technology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

5 Quantifying microplastics in beach sand and river sediment using thermal analytical methods

This study tested thermal analysis methods — particularly pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry — to identify and measure microplastics in beach sand and river sediment from Massachusetts. The work is important because reliable quantification tools are essential for understanding how much plastic pollution is entering and moving through environmental systems.

2023 Green Chemistry 2 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

The applicability of reflectance micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the detection of synthetic microplastics in marine sediments

Researchers developed and validated an optimized micro-FT-IR spectroscopy protocol for detecting microplastics in coastal marine sediments, providing a detailed operating procedure. The standardized method improves detection reliability and enables comparison of results across laboratories studying sediment microplastic contamination.

2012 The Science of The Total Environment 375 citations
Article Tier 2

New techniques for the detection of microplastics in sediments and field collected organisms

Researchers developed new techniques for detecting microplastics in sediment samples and for collecting particles in the field, improving the reliability and sensitivity of methods used to monitor environmental microplastic contamination.

2013 Marine Pollution Bulletin 971 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of microplastics detection methods applied to marine sediments: A case study in the Bay of Marseille

This study compared multiple analytical methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics in marine sediment samples, evaluating extraction efficiency, polymer identification accuracy, and practical considerations for routine environmental monitoring.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 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

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

Proposal for an initial screening method for identifying microplastics in marine sediments

Researchers developed a simplified screening protocol to identify microplastics in marine sediment samples, intended as a rapid initial method before more detailed analysis. Standardized screening protocols that are accessible to more laboratories are needed to expand global monitoring of microplastic sediment contamination.

2021 Scientific Reports 7 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

Microplastic identification and quantification from organic rich sediments: A validated laboratory protocol

Researchers developed and validated a laboratory protocol for extracting, quantifying, and identifying microplastics from organic-rich sediments with fine grain sizes. The study addressed the challenge of analyzing microplastics in contamination hotspots like harbors and estuaries, where high organic content makes extraction difficult, and provided a cost-effective integrated method for more reliable environmental monitoring.

2020 Environmental Pollution 136 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical methods for microplastics in the environment: a review

Researchers reviewed classical and advanced analytical methods for detecting microplastics in the environment. The methods covered include visual analysis, electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis, mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry, providing a comprehensive overview of available tools for microplastic identification and quantification.

2022 Environmental Chemistry Letters 276 citations
Article Tier 2

Fast identification of microplastics in complex environmental samples by a thermal degradation method

Researchers developed a fast identification method for microplastics in complex environmental samples using thermal analysis, offering a high-throughput alternative to spectroscopic techniques for polymer identification.

2017 Chemosphere 598 citations
Article Tier 2

A new thermoanalytical method for the quantification of microplastics in industrial wastewater

Researchers developed a new low-cost analytical method called EA-OEM that quantifies microplastics by measuring elemental composition rather than counting individual particles. This method allows faster, weight-based quantification of plastic content in environmental samples, which is important for assessing pollution loads in rivers and oceans.

2019 Environmental Pollution 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Baltic bottom sediments: Quantification procedures and first results

Researchers developed modified procedures for quantifying microplastics in Baltic Sea bottom sediments, addressing limitations in the standard NOAA methods — particularly the underestimation of fiber counts. The proposed improvements offer a more reliable approach for monitoring sediment contamination in this heavily polluted regional sea.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 259 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Methods Used for Identification and Quantification

This review covered the methods used to identify and characterize microplastics in marine environmental samples, evaluating the strengths and limitations of visual, spectroscopic, and chemical approaches for field and laboratory analysis.

2012 Environmental Science & Technology 5047 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer Identification and Specific Analysis (PISA) of Microplastic Total Mass in Sediments of the Protected Marine Area of the Meloria Shoals

Researchers applied their Polymer Identification and Specific Analysis (PISA) method to quantify microplastic mass in benthic sediments from the protected marine area of the Meloria Shoals near Leghorn, Italy, demonstrating the method's applicability to complex low-concentration sediment matrices.

2021 Polymers 25 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

Microplastic abundance and characteristics in French Atlantic coastal sediments using a new extraction method

Researchers developed a new extraction method for microplastics from coastal Atlantic sediments in France and applied it to characterize microplastic abundance and composition, finding widespread contamination and demonstrating the method's improved efficiency for recovering particles from sediment matrices.

2018 Environmental Pollution 127 citations