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Microplastics State of the Science
Citation:
Ho, K. AND R. Burgess. Microplastics State of the Science. 2023 University of Rhode Island Global Plastics Forum, Kingston, RI, May 15 - 16, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This short 10 min presentation covers the state of the analytical science for MP and emphasizes the importance of QA and QC to achieve acceptable accuracy and precision. This presentation sets the stage for invited speakers and panelists to discuss the state of science and policy for plastics and microplastics.
Description:
The objective of the USEPA’s Microplastic (MP) research has been to standardize and develop methods to extract MP from environmental matrices. Analysis of microplastics (MP) is complicated due to the heterogeneous nature of polymers, high concentrations of additives, and three order magnitude size range from the millimeter to the nanometer scale. Extraction and identification methods of MP from environmental matrices exist, yet inter-laboratory exercises demonstrate that precision and accuracy across multiple laboratories has not been optimized. Standardized methods and attention to quality assurance and quality control are key to increasing acceptable levels of recovery.
