Abstract
Microplastics are found in various environments with the increasing use of plastics worldwide. Several methods have been developed for the sampling, extraction, purification, identification, and quantification of microplastics in complex environmental matrices. This study intends to summarize recent research trends on the subject. Large microplastic particles can be sorted manually and identified through chemical analysis; however, sample preparation for small microplastic analysis is usually more difficult. Microplastics are identified by evaluating the physical and chemical properties of plastic particles separated through extraction and washing steps from a mixture of inorganic and organic particles. This identification has a high risk of producing false-positive and false-negative results in the analysis of small microplastics. Currently, a combination of physical (e.g., microscopy), chemical (e.g., spectroscopy), and thermal analyses is widely used. We aim to summarize the best strategies for microplastic analysis by comparing the strengths and limitations of each identification method.
Highlights
Plastics are resin products that are molded and processed by applying heat or pressure.In general, they refer to synthetic resins which are easy to synthesize and have light but complex properties
It is possible to enhance their suitability for their purpose of use through plastic-related chemicals (PRCs), such as whitening agents, plasticizers, antioxidants, and surfactants, which are added during synthesis [1,2]
This review focuses on summarizing the technologies developed and currently used for the sampling, extraction, purification, and detection of microplastics in real environmental samples and anticipating the direction of future technologies (Figure 1, Table 1)
Summary
Plastics are resin products that are molded and processed by applying heat or pressure. Plastic undergoes degradation into micro sizes due to physical influences (e.g., wind or rain), chemical influences (e.g., ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or corrosion), and through biodegradation (e.g., microorganisms) mechanisms [10] It is distributed over wide areas by waves and wind because it is light. Microplastics accumulated from lower tropic levels eventually accumulate in humans, the highest predator [15,16] Since humans consume both animals and plants, the amount of microplastics accumulating in the body through food is increasing. It is difficult to organize analysis results through characteristics, such as size, shape, color, and polymer type, because microplastics are produced from various types of plastics synthesized for each purpose. This review focuses on summarizing the technologies developed and currently used for the sampling, extraction, purification, and detection of microplastics in real environmental samples and anticipating the direction of future technologies (Figure 1, Table 1)
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