Cross-Contamination as a Problem in Collection and Analysis of Environmental Samples Containing Microplastics—A Review

Abstract

Research conducted so far on the presence of microplastics in the environment shows that these items are ubiquitous pollutants and therefore constitute an inherent part of our lives. This constitutes a significant problem in many aspects, and one of them is the correct identification of microplastics in environmental samples. Environmental samples can be easily contaminated by plastic microparticles from other sources if proper precautions are not taken during sampling and analysis. The consequence of not taking this cross-contamination into account when analysing the results may be their significant overestimation. This review aims to draw attention to the problem of cross-contamination that accompanies the collection and analysis of samples for the presence of microplastics, and to discuss this issue in a comprehensive manner. The article indicates potential sources of cross-contamination, lists the mitigation methods, and describes the possibilities of assessing this type of contamination. Moreover, the review examines how cross-contamination control appears in practice, based on the available literature data.

About the Possibility of Contamination of Analytical Samples During Quality Control of Medicines and Work Within the Same Laboratory Room With Different Substances

“…Більшість статей не містить інформації щодо контролю перехресного забруднення під час досліджень [5]. У цих документах іноді згадується використання «чистих» інструментів, але цей тип інформації дуже неточний і не свідчить про вжиття будь-яких заходів щодо зменшення перехресного забруднення, а також не регламентує контроль повітря робочої зони лабораторного приміщення щодо визначення мікрочастинок АФІ, що містяться в повітрі, які потенційно можуть бути забруднювачем.…”

Microplastics in Widely Used Polypropylene-Made Food Containers

“…All of the glass fiber filters were rinsed with pure water and then heated at 400 • C for 12 h prior to use [42]. Cotton lab coats and gloves were worn, and all solutions were always covered with aluminum foil throughout the whole experiment [43]. The pure water used for sample extraction was filtered with a 0.45 µm glass fiber membrane (GF/B Whatman, Maidstone, UK) before use.…”

An Improved Method for Measuring Phthalates in Seawater With Blank Contamination Using GC-MS

“…In many cases, authors omit information regarding blank contamination. [11]. This may mean that no cross-contamination occurred in a given study, or it was sufficiently low to be considered negligible.…”