Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Current techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing micro and nanoplastics with emphasis on strengths, limitations, and challenges

Researchers reviewed current analytical techniques for identifying, quantifying, and characterizing micro- and nanoplastics across environmental matrices. The review highlights the strengths and limitations of methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS, and calls for standardization to improve comparability across studies.

2025 Discover Environment
Article Tier 2

Does particle size affect micro- and nanoplastic quantification by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: a study on polystyrene

Researchers investigated whether particle size affects the accuracy of pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) quantification of micro- and nanoplastics, using polystyrene as a model polymer to assess how sample particle dimensions influence analytical results.

2025 Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and Nanoplastic Analysis: From Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry to Pyrolysis Two‐dimensional Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry—A Critical Review

This review traces the evolution of pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for identifying micro- and nanoplastics, and evaluates the newer two-dimensional version that can better separate overlapping chemical signals. Researchers found that while the advanced technique improves detection accuracy, major challenges remain around the lack of standardized methods for sample preparation and calibration. The study calls for unified protocols and better internal standards so that results across different labs can be meaningfully compared.

2025 Journal of Separation Science 3 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

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

QuantifyingNanoplastics and Microplastics in Foodand Beverages Using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry:Challenges and Implications

Researchers evaluated pyrolysis-GC/MS for quantifying nanoplastics and microplastics in common foods and beverages, assessing sensitivity and detection limits across polymer types. The method successfully detected multiple polymer types in food samples but showed limitations for nanoplastics at very low concentrations, highlighting gaps in current dietary exposure assessment.

2025 Figshare
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

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

Analytical challenges associated with the determination of microplastics in the environment

This commentary discusses the significant analytical challenges involved in detecting and quantifying microplastics in environmental matrices, highlighting issues of contamination, standardization, and the complexity of characterizing a diverse range of plastic fragments and fibers.

2017 Analytical Methods 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Fully quantitative analysis of nano-plastics in environmental samples using TD-PTR-MS and multivariate standard addition

This study developed a fully quantitative method for analyzing nanoplastics in environmental samples using thermal desorption pyrolysis-GC/MS, addressing the challenge that nanoplastics are often present at low concentrations in complex matrices. The approach advances detection capabilities needed to accurately assess nanoplastic pollution in natural systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Standardizing pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry for nanoplastics and microplastics detection to advance environmental research

Researchers proposed four key recommendations for standardizing how pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is used to detect nano- and microplastics in environmental samples. The recommendations cover sample preparation, scalable heating methods, product selection for measurement, and AI-assisted data analysis. Standardizing these techniques is important because inconsistent methods across laboratories make it difficult to compare microplastic pollution data worldwide.

2025 npj Emerging Contaminants 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Fully quantitative analysis of nano-plastics in environmental samples using TD-PTR-MS and multivariate standard addition

Researchers developed a fully quantitative analytical method using thermal desorption pyrolysis-GC/MS to measure nanoplastics in environmental samples, addressing the technical challenges of detecting particles present at low concentrations in complex matrices. The method provides quantitative data on nanoplastic mass concentrations in environmental samples, enabling more rigorous risk assessment.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Quantitation of polystyrene by pyrolysis-GC-MS: The impact of polymer standards on micro and nanoplastic analysis

Researchers evaluated how the choice of polystyrene reference standard affects the accuracy of a key method (Pyrolysis-GC-MS) used to detect and measure microplastics and nanoplastics, finding that different standards with varying molecular structures produce substantially different results for the same sample. This highlights an urgent need for standardized reference materials to make microplastic measurement methods more reliable and comparable across labs.

2024 Polymer Testing 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards quantitative microplastic analysis using pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Researchers worked to improve a lab technique called pyrolysis-GC/MS — which identifies plastics by heating them until they break apart into detectable chemical fragments — and found that mixing certain plastics together (especially PVC with others) produces unexpected reactions that can throw off measurements. Their findings highlight the urgent need for standardized international methods so that microplastic data from different labs can be reliably compared.

2024 Polymer Testing 8 citations
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

Promising techniques and open challenges for microplastic identification and quantification in environmental matrices

This review assessed current and emerging techniques for microplastic identification and quantification in environmental matrices, highlighting advantages and limitations of methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS.

2019 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Identification in Complex Environmental Matrices: Strategies for Polystyrene and Polypropylene

Researchers developed and compared analytical strategies for detecting and identifying polystyrene and polypropylene nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices, evaluating techniques including pyrolysis-GC/MS, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy, and proposing a multi-method workflow for environmental samples.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics: From Separations to Analysis—Challenges and Limitations

This review examines the challenges of analyzing nanoplastics in environmental samples, from sample preparation to identification. Researchers found that techniques commonly used for larger microplastics are often ineffective for nanoplastics, and that isolating these tiny particles from complex environmental samples remains a major technical hurdle. The study summarizes the advantages and limitations of current microscopic, spectroscopic, and thermal analysis methods and calls for standardized approaches.

2025 Separations 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Methods and challenges in the detection of microplastics and nanoplastics: a mini‐review

This review evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of analytical methods used to detect and identify microplastics and nanoplastics, including microscopy, spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry techniques. Researchers identified key challenges such as distinguishing genuine environmental microplastics from contamination introduced during sample collection and processing. The study provides recommendations for improving data quality and reliability in microplastic research.

2021 Polymer International 177 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification Challenges in Polymer Analysis in Urban Runoff and Wastewater using Pressurized Liquid Extraction and Double-Shot Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

This study developed and validated a pressurized liquid extraction plus pyrolysis-GC/MS method for quantifying PE, PET, PP, and PS microplastics in urban runoff and wastewater, achieving 43–58% recoveries and addressing matrix-specific calibration challenges for standardized environmental analysis.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Challenge for the detection of microplastics in the environment

This review examines the major challenges in detecting and quantifying microplastics across different environmental matrices, including sampling inconsistencies, contamination risks, and limitations of current analytical methods. Addressing these methodological challenges is essential for producing reliable data on microplastic pollution levels worldwide.

2019 Water Environment Research 192 citations