Using infrared spectroscopy analysis of plastic debris to introduce concepts of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter

Anjos, R. M.; Amaral, S. S. G.; Muniz, Marcelo Costa; Cardoso, Renan Pereira; Bernardo, T. A. S.; Guerrieri, A.; Lage, L. L.

doi:10.1088/1361-6552/ab630b

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…A similar finding was observed for the distribution of polymers ( Figure 5), as the lack of adequate waste management and the increase in anthropogenic activities favor the presence of typical household waste polymers. 47 Polyethylene is used for single-use bags, plastic bottles, and fishing lines and nets. Polypropylene is found mainly in bottle caps, ropes, textiles, drinking straws, food packaging, and car spare parts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Plastic Debris in the Pacific and Caribbean Beaches of Panama

Borrero

Fábrega

Olmos

et al. 2020

Air, Soil and Water Research

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Microplastics are a global ubiquitous problem, which is becoming a major issue of concern at scientific and political levels around the world. This study presents physical and chemical characterizations of microplastic debris and a comparison between the spatial distribution and anthropogenic activities in 4 Panamanian beaches located in both sides of the Isthmus. Two of them (Juan Diaz and San Carlos beaches) are located toward the Pacific Ocean, Panamá Province, whereas the others (Palenque and Punta Galeta beaches) are located at the Caribbean Sea, Colón Province. They were chosen to show different landscape management and environmental impacts: touristic and protected areas; coastal areas that receive pollutants and marine litter from urban rivers or are used for local fishing activities. Plastic debris samples were collected and visually analyzed following the protocol proposed by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). The physical characterization of the samples consisted in the determination of variables associated with the number of plastic particles, shape, color, and size. The characterization of the polymers was performed by the attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique. A high concentration of microplastics (353 items/m2) were found at the studied sites at the Caribbean coast, whereas a lesser concentration with a greater diversity of shapes and polymer categories were found at the Pacific Coast (187 items/m2). The results indicate that, in addition to anthropogenic activities, the proximity to Panama Canal installations, as well as seasonality, natural phenomena, winds, and ocean currents may be influencing the increase in microplastic contents and the types of polymers observed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Plastic Debris in the Pacific and Caribbean Beaches of Panama

Borrero

Fábrega

Olmos

et al. 2020

Air, Soil and Water Research

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“…For example, Michelson interferometer type wavelength selectors have been implemented on a chip and can now be found in compact NIR spectrometers [22,23]. Compact instruments have been used to provide chemical sensing capabilities in many different application areas, including the identification of plastics and microplastics [21,[24][25][26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a low-cost method for quantifying microplastics in soils and compost using near-infrared spectroscopy

Wander

Lommel

Meyer

et al. 2022

Meas. Sci. Technol.

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Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a promising candidate for low-cost, nondestructive, and high-throughput mass quantification of micro¬plastics in environmental samples. Widespread application of the technique is currently hampered mainly by the low sensitivity of NIR spectroscopy compared to thermoanalytical approaches commonly used for this type of analysis. This study shows how the application of NIR spectroscopy for mass quantification of microplastics can be extended to smaller analyte levels by combining it with a simple and rapid microplastic enrichment protocol. For this purpose, the widely used flotation of microplastics in a NaCl solution, accelerated by centrifugation, was chosen which allowed to remove up to 99 % of the matrix at recovery rates of 83–104 %. The spectroscopic measurements took place directly on the stainless-steel filters used to collect the extracted particles to reduce sample handling to a minimum. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were used to identify and quantify the extracted microplastics in the mass range of 1–10 mg. The simple and fast extraction procedure was systematically optimized to meet the requirements for the quantification of microplastics from common PE-, PP-, and PS-based packaging materials with a particle size < 1 mm found in compost or soils with high natural organic matter content (> 10 % determined by loss on ignition). Microplastics could be detected in model samples at a mass fraction of 1 mg g-1. The detectable microplastic mass fraction is about an order of magnitude lower compared to previous studies using NIR spectroscopy without additional enrichment. To emphasize the cost-effectiveness of the method, it was implemented using some of the cheapest and most compact NIR spectrometers available.

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