A platform for microplastic assessment in aquatic environments based on the protein corona-induced aggregation effect

Abstract

The environmental hazards of microplastics have received widespread attention. However, the in-situ detection of microplastics, particularly in aquatic environments, has been challenged by the limitations of detection methods, the large-scale instruments, and small size. Herein, a photoelectrochemical sensor based on the protein corona-induced aggregation effect is designed for the detection of polystyrene microplastics. The sensor has advantages of high sensitivity, reproducibility, and detection capability. A linear detection range of 0.5–500 μg mL−1, a method detection limit of 0.06 μg mL−1, and a limit of quantification of 0.14 μg mL−1 are achieved. Furthermore, the relative standard deviations of intra-day and inter-day precision, ranging from 0.56% to 4.63% and 0.84%–3.36% are obtained. A digital multimeter was employed to construct a platform for the real-time detection in real water samples, streamlining the detection process and yielding clear results. We believe this sensor provides new insight for the in-situ real-time detection of microplastics and has broad applications for the analysis of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.