Methods for the Generation and Characterization of Cryomilled Micro- and Nanoplastics (2024)

An assessment of methods used for the generation and characterization of cryomilled polystyrene micro- and nanoplastic particles

Microplastics and Nanoplastics

There is a critical need to generate environmentally relevant microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) to better investigate their behavior in laboratory settings. Environmental MPs are heterogenous in size and shape, unlike monodisperse and uniform microspheres commonly used as surrogates. Cryogenic grinding, or cryomilling, was successfully utilized to transform polystyrene (PS) bulk material into heterogenous micro and nano fragments. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that this approach did not alter polymer surface chemistry. The number of milling cycles (time of milling) and frequency of grinding (intensity of milling) were varied to investigate the role cryomilling parameters had on generated MP characteristics. The resulting particle size distributions of cryomilled samples were measured and compared. Coulter Counter and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) were used to measure the particle size distributions at the micro and nanoparticle size ranges,...

Insights into Microplastics: from Physical and Chemical Characterisation to its Potential as a Vector

Socratic Lectures 7

Particles with the largest dimension of less than 5 mm, also termed as microplastics (MPs), gained a lot of scientific and media attention in the last decade. MPs in the environment are of importance because of their potential for further fragmentation, accumulation, and impact on biota in the terres-trial and water environments. MPs research is challenging due to their diversity in size, shape, and chemical structure. For research purposes, MP particles can be purchased, but in terms of chemical structure, they properties might not correspond to the ones of MPs, found in the environment. Com-pared to purchased MPs, plastic products in the environment can contain different additives, despite being the same polymer type as purchased MPs. Therefore, for environmental studies preparation of MP particles from plastic products is preferable. In this contribution two methods for laboratory preparation of MP particles, different sizes and polymer types, are presented. Method using ultra-so...

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

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Validation of analytical methods for measurements of microplastics (MP) is severely hampered because of a general lack of reference materials, RM. There is a great need to develop such reference materials. This study presents a concept of three-component kit with immobilised MP in solid NaCl, a surfactant and clean water that can be applied for the production of many types of MP RMs. As proof of concept, an RM for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles in water was prepared and evaluated for its homogeneity. The particles ranged from 30 μm (Feretmin) to about 200 μm adapted by wet sieving. A specific number of PET particles were immobilized in about 0.29 g of solid NaCl by freeze-drying 1 mL of a NaCl suspension. By using manual and automated counting, twenty reconstituted 1-L water samples were evaluated for homogeneity with respect to number of PET particles from 30 μm to > 200 μm/L of water. The number of particles was 730 ± 120 (mean ± one standard deviation (SD); n = 10)...

Physicochemical characterization and quantification of nanoplastics: applicability, limitations and complementarity of batch and fractionation methods

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2023

Effect of Agitation Method on the Nanosized Degradation of Polystyrene Microplastics Dispersed in Water

ACS Omega

Environmental Microplastic Particles vs. Engineered Plastic Microparticles—A Comparative Review

Polymers

Microplastic particles (MPs) pose a novel threat to nature. Despite being first noticed in the 1970s, research on this topic has only surged in recent years. Researchers have mainly focused on environmental plastic particles; however, studies with defined microplastic particles as the sample input are scarce. Furthermore, comparison of those studies indicates a discrepancy between the particles found (e.g., in the environment) and those used for further research (e.g., exposure studies). Obviously, it is important to use particles that resemble those found in the environment to conduct appropriate research. In this review, different categories of microplastic particles are addressed, before covering an overview of the most common separation and analysis methods for environmental MPs is covered. After showing that the particles found in the environment are mostly irregular and polydisperse, while those used in studies with plastic microparticles as samples are often not, different pa...

Measuring particle size distribution and mass concentration of nanoplastics and microplastics: addressing some analytical challenges in the sub-micron size range

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2021

Small micro- and nanoplastic test and reference materials for research: Current status and future needs

Cambridge prisms. Plastics, 2024

The Current Status of Atmospheric Micro/Nanoplastics Research: Characterization, Analytical Methods, Fate, and Human Health Risk

Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 2023

sj-pdf-1-asp-10.1177_0003702820930292 - Supplemental material for Reporting Guidelines to Increase the Reproducibility and Comparability of Research on Microplastics

2020

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-asp-10.1177_0003702820930292 for Reporting Guidelines to Increase the Reproducibility and Comparability of Research on Microplastics by Win Cowger, Andy M. Booth, Bonnie M. Hamilton, Clara Thaysen, Sebastian Primpke, Keenan Munno, Amy L. Lusher, Alexandre Dehaut, Vitor P. Vaz, Max Liboiron, Lisa I. Devriese, Ludovic Hermabessiere, Chelsea Rochman, Samantha N. Athey, Jennifer M. Lynch, Hannah De Frond, Andrew Gray, Oliver A.H. Jones, Susanne Brander, Clare Steele, Shelly Moore, Alterra Sanchez and Holly Nel in Applied Spectroscopy