You are here:
Presentation for Frontier Labs, January 2020. Measuring Microplastics: Building Best Practices & Methods for Collection, Preparation and Analysis
Citation:
Cook, A. AND H. Allen. Presentation for Frontier Labs, January 2020. Measuring Microplastics: Building Best Practices & Methods for Collection, Preparation and Analysis. ASTM Microplastic Method Development and Instrument Training, Koriyama, Fukishima Prefecture, JAPAN, January 20 - 23, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation describes progress made by EPA on microplastics research and method development. An essential component of standardized method development is that of reproducible and accurate identification of polymers. IR and Raman spectroscopy has been shown to be both reproducible and accurate: However, both instruments are expensive and the process of identification is time-consuming. Frontier Labs and University of Tohoku have recently been experimenting using Pyrolysis-GC/MS instruments to identify plastic polymers in environmental media. If successful, this third technology may prove a cost-effective means to identify plastic particles and be able to be transferred to commercial labs.
Description:
While the physiological impacts of macro-plastic pollution to ecological wildlife has long been observed, there is far less known about the physiological and toxicological exposure and impacts of microplastics. The overarching challenge from a research standpoint is the lack of standardized methodologies for collection, preparation, isolation and identification of microplastics in all media. Included within that challenge and resulting research gap is the lack of standardized terms, nomenclatures, characteristics and properties related to microplastics. This challenge must be surmounted to satisfactorily assess exposure and health impacts related to the presence of microplastics in the environment in all media, including drinking water. This presentation gives the background on EPA research into microplastics and the progress made over the last two years developing ASTM standards for collection, preparation and reference sample fabrication practices as well as identification methods for microplastics in water media. The proposed ASTM standardized methods for identification of plastic particles put forward by the EPA team and partners include IR and Raman spectroscopy. The EPA team is evaluating the efficacy of Pyrolyis-GC/MS as a third, and potentially more cost-effective, technology capable of positively identifying polymers.