Challenges in characterization of nanoplastics in the environment

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Abstract

Plastic pollution has been a legacy environment problems and more recently, the plastic particles, especially those ultrafine or small plastics particles, are widely recognized with increasing environmental and ecological impacts. Among small plastics, microplastics are intensively studied, whereas the physicochemical properties, environmental abundance, chemical states, bioavailability and toxicity toward organisms of nanoplastics are inadequately investigated. There are substantial difficulties in separation, visualization and chemical identification of nanoplastics due to their small sizes, relatively low concentrations and interferences from coexisting substances (e.g., dyes or natural organic matters). Moreover, detection of polymers at nanoscale is largely hampered by the detection limit or sensitivity for existing spectral techniques such as Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) or Raman Spectroscopy. This article critically examined the current state of art techniques that are exclusively reported for nanoplastic characterization in environmental samples. Based on their operation principles, potential applications and limitations of these analytical techniques are carefully analyzed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Identifier

85121531044 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-021-1445-z

e-ISSN

2095221X

ISSN

20952201

Issue

1

Volume

16

Grant

2018NJ399B

Fund Ref

New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute

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