Assessment of microplastic sampling and extraction methods for drinking waters

Sampling Microplastics in Water Matrices: A Need for Standardization

“…4−6 Only one study is known to have simultaneously evaluated sampling methods. 7 Generation of defensible and representative data dictates the use of a sufficient volume to ensure that an adequate number of microplastics is collected. The specific volume required in part depends on the microplastic concentration in source waters, which is often unknown, as well as the toxicologically relevant concentration.…”

“…Instead, only laboratory blanks are required to quantify contamination during sample processing. 7 This reduces the number of analyses via time-consuming techniques, including Raman or Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Advantages summarized in Table 1 suggest that cartridge-style "in-line" filters represent a superior method for the collection of microplastics from drinking waters.…”

“…Despite an abundance of microplastic-related studies reported in recent years, standardized methods for their collection are lacking with respect to this end use. Best practices for collection are generally agreed upon in the literature and include adequate water volume, minimization of contamination, use of positive controls, as well as incorporation of appropriate digestion and sample processing protocols. − Limited studies have evaluated various digestion methods and analytical techniques. − Only one study is known to have simultaneously evaluated sampling methods . Generation of defensible and representative data dictates the use of a sufficient volume to ensure that an adequate number of microplastics is collected.…”

“…These designs represent an improvement when compared to those of earlier studies that employed bottles to collect <2 L of raw and treated municipal tap water prior to filtration. − Another important advantage associated with enclosed “in-line” filtration is that the need to collect and analyze field blanks (typically used to correct for potential airborne contamination) may potentially be eliminated. Instead, only laboratory blanks are required to quantify contamination during sample processing . This reduces the number of analyses via time-consuming techniques, including Raman or Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.…”

Improved microplastic processing from complex biological samples using a customized vacuum filtration apparatus

“…In contrast, while the loss of MPs from samples during processing has been quantified in some studies (Kroon et al 2018a), it is generally underreported. Filtration has been specifically associated with the introduction of false positives either through airborne contamination (Lachenmeier et al 2015;Yuan et al 2022) or from plastic filtration equipment (Lares et al 2019;Cutroneo et al 2020) and the loss of MPs (Brander et al 2020). To assess the exactitude of the sample processing method, including the filtration step, spike-recovery tests should be conducted and results reported accordingly (Lusher et al 2017;Rochman et al 2019;Prata et al 2021).…”