Page 43 - Plastics News March 2025
P. 43
FEATURE NEWS
Characterizing microplastics goes beyond sim- identifies its chemical structure.
ply identifying their presence—it’s critical for
understanding their environmental and health Researchers in the study used the PerkinElmer
impacts. Microplastics transport toxic chemicals, Spotlight 400 FT-IR Imaging System to capture
and accumulate within food chains. Ultimately, both visible images and infrared spectra. Oper-
they enter human organs through both inges- ating at an 8 cm-1 resolution with a 25-micron
tion and inhalation, raising serious health con- pixel size, the system efficiently scanned entire
cerns. Different types of plastics degrade at filters in under 40 minutes, significantly reduc-
different rates, release various chemicals, and ing analysis time compared to traditional manual
pose unique risks. methods.
Sample Preparation: A Critical Step
By determining their composition, size, shape,
and concentration, researchers can: Accurate microplastic analysis starts with proper
♦ Assess ecological risks: Identifying polymer sample preparation. The study used a test sam-
types helps determine the potential toxicity ple tablet from the Norwegian Institute for Wa-
to marine life, wildlife, and humans. ter Research, which was dissolved to separate
microplastic particles. Researchers then per-
♦ Track pollution sources: Characterization formed vacuum filtration using 0.2-micron Ano-
can link microplastics to specific industries, disc filters and gold-coated filters, depending on
products, or waste management practices, the type of infrared measurement:
aiding in pollution control efforts.
♦ Gold-coated filters supported reflectance
♦ Inform policy and regulation: Reliable data measurements, extending the spectral range
on microplastic contamination supports the down to 700 cm-1.
development of evidence-based environ-
mental policies and mitigation strategies. ♦ Anodisc filters were used for transmission
measurements, effective up to 1250 cm-1.
♦ Evaluate remediation techniques: Under-
standing microplastic properties allows for This meticulous preparation ensured minimal
the creation of more effective removal and contamination and enhanced the reliability of
treatment technologies. the results.
How FT-IR Microscopy Works in Microplastic De- Identifying Microplastic Types with Precision
tection
The FT-IR imaging system successfully identified
FT-IR Microscopy combines infrared spectrosco- 25 microplastic particles, classifying them into
py with advanced imaging capabilities, enabling four major polymer types:
researchers to analyze microplastic particles ♦ Polyethylene (PE) – 5 particles
with high precision. In this process, samples are
exposed to infrared light, which interacts with ♦ Polystyrene (PS) – 4 particles
the material at a molecular level. Consequently, ♦ Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – 8 parti-
each polymer absorbs specific wavelengths of cles
IR light, creating a distinct spectral pattern that
March 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 43
