New methodologies for the detection, identification, and quantification of microplastics and their environmental degradation by-products

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2021-09, Vol.28 (34), p.46764-46780
• Main Authors: Castelvetro, Valter, Corti, Andrea, Biale, Greta, Ceccarini, Alessio, Degano, Ilaria, La Nasa, Jacopo, Lomonaco, Tommaso, Manariti, Antonella, Manco, Enrico, Modugno, Francesca, Vinciguerra, Virginia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accelerators; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cost analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental degradation; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Low molecular weights; Marine pollution; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Microplastics; Molecular weight; Organic compounds; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Pollutants; Polymers; Pyrolysis; Sediments; Selected Case Studies on the Environment of the Mediterranean and Surrounding Regions; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12466-z

Sampling, separation, detection, and characterization of microplastics (MPs) dispersed in natural water bodies and ecosystems is a challenging and critical issue for a better understanding of the hazards for the environment posed by such nearly ubiquitous and still largely unknown form of pollution. There is still the need for exhaustive, reliable, accurate, reasonably fast, and cost-efficient analytical protocols allowing the quantification not only of MPs but also of nanoplastics (NPs) and of the harmful molecular pollutants that may result from degrading plastics. Here a set of newly developed analytical protocols, integrated with specialized techniques such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), for the accurate and selective determination of the polymers most commonly found as MPs polluting marine and freshwater sediments are presented. In addition, the results of an investigation on the low molecular weight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released upon photo-oxidative degradation of microplastics highlight the important role of photoinduced fragmentation at a molecular level both as a potential source of hazardous chemicals and as accelerators of the overall degradation of floating or stranded plastic debris.