An overview of microplastics characterization by thermal analysis

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 242; p. 125170
• Main Authors: Peñalver, Rosa, Arroyo-Manzanares, Natalia, López-García, Ignacio, Hernández-Córdoba, Manuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2020
• Subjects: Environmental contamination; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Microplastics - analysis; Microplastics - chemistry; Microplastics characterization; Pyrolysis; Spectroscopic techniques; Thermal analysis; Thermogravimetry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Spectroscopic techniques; Microplastics characterization; Environmental contamination; Thermal analysis
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125170

Microplastics may be present in the environment as primary microplastics (manufactured) or secondary microplastics (result of the continuous degradation of larger plastic pieces into smaller fragments due to environmental, physicochemical and biotic factors). To fully understand the dynamics of microplastic particles and their environmental effects, harmonized, automated, cheap, rapid and reliable methodologies for sampling, extraction and characterization of microplastic need to be developed. This review focuses on the potential of thermal analytical techniques for microplastics characterization and highlights some of the new trends in this area.
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•The presence of microplastics in the environment poses a severe risk for ecosystems.•Strategies for extracting microplastics from different matrices need to be improved.•Simple, validated and rapid methods for microplastics characterization are needed.•Thermal techniques show a strong potential for microplastics characterization.