Improvement of Microplastics Separation from Synthetic Samples - A Key Step for Their Analysis

Identification of microplastics from the environment is a challenge mostly due to the complex nature and behavior of samples and lack of an efficient separation method. This paper approaches the issue of microplastics separation as determining step of their analysis. The separation of two types of c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering 2020-06, Vol.877 (1), p.12026
Main Authors: Ciobotaru, I-E, Marcu, E, Maria, C, Ivanov, A A, Savin, I, Moncea, A, Tociu, C, Deák, Gy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
High density polyethylenes
Optical microscopy
Plastic pollution
Polyethylene terephthalate
Qualitative analysis
Separation
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Summary:Identification of microplastics from the environment is a challenge mostly due to the complex nature and behavior of samples and lack of an efficient separation method. This paper approaches the issue of microplastics separation as determining step of their analysis. The separation of two types of commercial plastics from synthetic samples was investigated, namely polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high density polyethylene (HDPE). Subsequent filtration through filters with different porosities was tested and improved by adding a surfactant in the extraction medium. For the qualitative analysis of microplastic, optical microscopy and laser-granulometry were employed. The results proved the separation of microplastics from the samples and showed a distribution between 10-100 μm for PET and 10-200 μm for HDPE. These results provide basis for the efficient microplastics separation and further quantitative analysis from more complex samples, such as environmental samples.
ISSN:1757-8981
1757-899X
DOI:10.1088/1757-899X/877/1/012026