Papers

61,005 results
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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 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

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

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

Utilizing Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Monitoring and Analytical Characterization of Microplastics in Polychaete Worms

Researchers used pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to detect and characterize microplastics in polychaete worms, demonstrating the method's utility for monitoring microplastic accumulation in marine invertebrates.

2022 Polymers 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Microplastics in Aquatic Shellfish by Pyrolysis–Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry after Alkali Digestion and Solvent Extraction

Researchers developed a pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for detecting trace microplastics in aquatic shellfish, achieving 74-102% recovery rates for nylon microplastics after alkali digestion and solvent extraction.

2022 Polymers 23 citations
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

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

Identification of polymer types and additives in marine microplastic particles using pyrolysis-GC/MS and scanning electron microscopy

Researchers used pyrolysis and thermal analysis to identify polymer types and plastic additives in marine microplastic particles, finding a diverse range of polymers and additive chemicals in samples from multiple ocean environments.

2013 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 888 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

Pyrolysis GC-MS Characterization of Plastic Debris from the Northern Gulf of Alaska Shorelines

Using pyrolysis GC-MS, researchers chemically characterized 115 plastic debris samples collected from shorelines in the northern Gulf of Alaska, identifying polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant polymers regardless of the debris's physical appearance or degree of weathering. Accurate polymer identification of environmental plastic litter is foundational to understanding degradation pathways and the types of microplastics that eventually enter marine food webs.

2023 ACS ES&T Water 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastic polymers found in the digestive tract of fish from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala

FTIR-ATR spectroscopy was used to identify microplastic polymers extracted from the gastrointestinal tracts of 36 fish from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala, analyzing 68 particles representing 10% of total extracted microplastics. The study determined the predominant polymer types present in fish from this lake and assessed likely contamination sources.

2024 O Mundo da Saúde 1 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

Py-GC-MS/MS quantification of microplastics in vertebrate tissues: Addressing false positives of polyethylene

Researchers developed an improved analytical method using pyrolysis gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to quantify small microplastics in bird tissues. They addressed a known problem of false positive polyethylene readings caused by lipids in biological samples by using longer carbon chain markers. The method was validated in Yellow-legged Gulls and provides a more reliable way to measure microplastic contamination in vertebrate organisms.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 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

Identification of the composition and abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract of fish in the Banjaran River, Banyumas District

Researchers identified and quantified microplastic composition and abundance in digestive tract contents of wild-caught fish from a coastal fishery, documenting ingestion rates, polymer types, and particle morphologies across multiple commercially important species.

2025 Acta Aquatica Aquatic Sciences Journal
Article Tier 2

Occurrence, abundance and characteristics of microplastics in some commercial fish of northern coasts of the Persian Gulf

Microplastics were found in muscle, liver, gill, and gastrointestinal tissues of 14 commercially fished species from the northern Persian Gulf, with gastrointestinal tissues showing the highest contamination and muscle tissue showing very low levels, suggesting limited translocation from gut to edible flesh in most species.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence of microplastics (MP) in gut content of major consumed marine fish species in the State of Kuwait (of the Arabian/Persian Gulf)

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal contents of eight commercially consumed marine fish species from Kuwait in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, confirming microplastic presence across multiple trophic levels using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative analysis of microplastics in Nile tilapia from a recirculating aquaculture system using pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Researchers used a chemical analysis technique called pyrolysis-GC/MS to detect microplastics in the edible muscle tissue of farmed Nile tilapia, finding traces in 42% of fish sampled — highlighting that people who eat aquaculture fish may be ingesting small amounts of microplastics.

2024 Environmental Sciences Europe 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid and Sensitive Quantification of Nano- and Microplastics in Water, Sediment, and Biological Tissue by Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry with Dynamic Reaction Monitoring

Researchers developed a highly sensitive pyrolysis gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (Py-GC-qQq-MS) method using dynamic multiple reaction monitoring to quantify 12 common plastic polymers in water, sediments, and biological tissues at nanogram levels. The method achieved quantification of nano- and microplastics across diverse matrices with high specificity, using matrix-specific sample preparation including enzymatic digestion and pressurized liquid extraction.

2025 Analytical Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Screening for microplastics in marine fish of Thailand: the accumulation of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of different foraging preferences

Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion in 492 marine fish (361 demersal and 131 pelagic) from Thailand, finding no significant difference in uptake between the two foraging types, with polyamide fibers dominating in both groups. FT-IR analysis confirmed polyamide as the most common polymer and red-colored fibers as the most abundant morphology, providing the first such characterization for Thai marine fish.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Identificação de polímeros de microplásticos encontrados no trato digestivo de peixes do Lago de Amatitlán, Guatemala

Using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, 68 microplastics from the gastrointestinal tracts of 36 fish from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala were identified and characterized, representing 10% of the total extracted particles. The Portuguese-language study determined the predominant polymer types and likely contamination origins in fish from this Central American lake ecosystem.

2024 O Mundo da Saúde 1 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

Experimental development of a new protocol for extraction and characterization of microplastics in fish tissues: First observations in commercial species from Adriatic Sea

Researchers developed and tested a new protocol for the extraction and characterization of microplastics from environmental samples, optimizing steps for recovery efficiency and polymer identification accuracy.

2015 Marine Environmental Research 768 citations