Sample Preparation Method and FTIR Analysis Method for Microplastics Sampled from Rivers

User Benefits

・Simple degradation analysis of microplastics is possible by using the Plastic Analyzer plastic analysis system. ・In analysis of microplastics, adequate sample preparation enhances the accuracy of the subsequent analysis.

Introduction

Microplastics are fine plastic particles with a size of 5 mm or smaller. Because pollution of rivers and oceans by microplastics is spreading at the global scale, monitoring surveys have been conducted in recent years to obtain scientific knowledge concerning the distribution of microplastics in each of the world’s countries and various other issues. Standardization of monitoring survey methods is also being promoted so that the data from each country can be compared. Analysis of microplastics is generally carried out in the order of collection of samples, sample preparation (removal of contaminants by hydrogen peroxide, classification of the microplastics by gravity separation), and evaluation by analytical instruments. Adequate sample preparation is indispensable for high accuracy in the subsequent analysis step. This article introduces the condition of microplastic sampling, a sample preparation method, and an analysis method using the Shimadzu Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR).

March 4, 2021 GMT