Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics measuring methods in water and wastewater bodies

This review covers the wide variety of methods used to measure microplastics in water and wastewater, comparing their advantages and limitations. The authors note that lack of standardized methods makes it difficult to compare results across studies and call for international consensus on measurement protocols.

2021 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología
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

Comparision protocols for extraction of microplastics in water samples

Researchers compared four different extraction protocols for isolating microplastics from water samples and found significant differences in efficiency and accuracy across methods. Standardized extraction protocols are critical for producing comparable microplastic abundance data across studies. Without consistent methodology, it is difficult to build a reliable global picture of microplastic contamination levels in water.

2023 Vietnam Journal of Marine Science and Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Monitoring microplastics in drinking water: An interlaboratory study to inform effective methods for quantifying and characterizing microplastics

Researchers conducted an interlaboratory study with 22 labs from six countries to evaluate methods for quantifying microplastics in drinking water, finding significant variability between labs and identifying key areas for method standardization.

2022 Chemosphere 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of different methods for MP detection: What can we learn from them, and why asking the right question before measurements matters?

This comparative study evaluated several different analytical methods for detecting and measuring microplastics, finding that the choice of method significantly affects results. The authors emphasize that choosing the right method depends on the specific research question, and that standardization is essential for comparing data across studies.

2017 Environmental Pollution 374 citations
Article Tier 2

Interlaboratory Comparison Reveals State of the Art in Microplastic Detection and Quantification Methods

This large international study compared how 84 laboratories around the world performed when identifying and measuring microplastics using five common detection methods. The results showed significant differences between labs, with spectroscopy-based methods generally outperforming heat-based techniques for accuracy. The findings highlight that standardized methods are urgently needed so that microplastic measurements in food, water, and the environment can be reliably compared across studies.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 24 citations
Article Tier 2

The assessment of microplastic and microfibres in freshwater systems through different sampling methods reveals causes of incomparability.

Researchers performed a literature mining study on microplastic abundance in freshwater systems, finding that large discrepancies between studies arise not only from inherent environmental variability but from methodological differences in sampling and analytical approaches, highlighting the urgent need for standardized protocols.

2025
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

Solving the Nonalignment of Methods and Approaches Used in Microplastic Research to Consistently Characterize Risk

Researchers proposed and tested methods to rescale microplastic data collected using different sampling and analysis approaches, addressing the lack of standardization that hampers comparisons across studies. They developed correction factors to account for differences in particle size ranges, sampling volumes, and analytical techniques. The study provides practical tools for harmonizing microplastic research data, which could significantly improve global pollution assessments.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 296 citations
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

Intercomparison study on commonly used methods to determine microplastics in wastewater and sludge samples

An intercomparison study of common microplastic analysis methods for wastewater and sludge found substantial variability in results between laboratories, highlighting the urgent need for standardized protocols to enable reliable comparisons.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 154 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

Innovative reference materials for method validation in microplastic analysis including interlaboratory comparison exercises

Researchers developed innovative reference materials for validating microplastic analysis methods, presenting interlaboratory comparison results that support quality assurance and standardization in the growing field of microplastic detection.

2023 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Methodological similarities and discrepancies among studies on microplastics in South American continental aquatic environments

Researchers conducted a systematic review of 57 studies on microplastic pollution in South American continental aquatic environments, identifying significant methodological discrepancies in sampling, detection limits, and sample preparation that limit cross-study comparability and proposing standardization approaches.

2025 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Article Tier 2

Global measurement of surface water microplastics using a unified size threshold

A globally deployable measurement approach was developed for monitoring microplastics on water surfaces using a unified protocol applicable across different geographic regions. Standardized global measurement methods are critical for generating comparable data needed to assess the scale of ocean plastic pollution.

2025 Water Research 1 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

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

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

Preparation of a reference material for microplastics in water—evaluation of homogeneity

Researchers developed a candidate reference material for microplastics in water and evaluated its homogeneity, finding it suitable for use in laboratory intercomparison studies and as a tool for validating microplastic analytical methods.

2021 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 65 citations
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

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

Recent advances in the analysis methodologies for microplastics in aquatic organisms: current knowledge and research challenges

This review examines recent advances in analytical methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics in aquatic organisms, identifying key sources of variability across studies and outlining research challenges needed to improve comparability and standardization.

2020 Analytical Methods 73 citations
Article Tier 2

A standard analytical approach and establishing criteria for microplastic concentrations in wastewater, drinking water and tap water

This study proposes standardized methods and concentration benchmarks for measuring microplastics in wastewater, drinking water, and tap water. The researchers found that current studies use widely varying techniques, making it difficult to compare results or set safety limits. Establishing consistent measurement standards is a critical first step toward determining what levels of microplastics in drinking water may pose risks to human health.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 36 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