Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in the Marine Environment Using the Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Technique

Type Article
Date 2022-07
Language English
Author(s) Ourgaud MélanieORCID1, Phuong Nam Ngoc1, 2, Papillon LaureORCID1, Panagiotopoulos ChristosORCID1, Galgani FrancoisORCID3, Schmidt Natascha1, Fauvelle Vincent1, Brach-Papa ChristopheORCID3, Sempéré RichardORCID1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Aix-Marseille University, Toulon University, CNRS, IRD, M I O, Marseille 13007, France
2 : PhuTho College of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2201 Hung Vuong Boulevard, Viettri City, PhuTho Province 290000, Viet Nam
3 : Laboratoire Environnement Ressources, Provence-Azur-Corse, IFREMER, Centre Méditerranée, Zone Portuaire de Brégaillon, CS20 330, 83507, La Seyne-sur-Mer Cedex, France
Source Environmental Science & Technology (0013-936X) (American Chemical Society (ACS)), 2022-07 , Vol. 56 , N. 14 , P. 9999-10009
DOI 10.1021/acs.est.1c08870
WOS© Times Cited 32
Keyword(s) Microplastics, LDIR, detection, seawater, sediment, marine organisms
Abstract

Here, we evaluate for the first time the performances of the newly developed laser direct infrared (LDIR) technique and propose an optimization of the initial protocol for marine microplastics (MPs) analysis. Our results show that an 8 μm porosity polycarbonate filter placed on a Kevley slide enables preconcentration and efficient quantification of MPs, as well as polymer and size determination of reference plastic pellets of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), with recoveries ranging from 80–100% and negligible blank values for particle sizes ranging from 200 to 500 μm. A spiked experiment using seawater, sediment, mussels, and fish stomach samples showed that the method responded linearly with significant slopes (R2 ranging from 0.93–1.0; p < 0.001, p < 0.01). Overall, 11 polymer types were identified with limited handling and an analysis time of ca. 3 h for most samples and 6 h for complex samples. Application of this technique to Mediterranean marine samples (seawater, sediment, fish stomachs and mussels) indicated MP concentrations and size distribution consistent with the literature. A high predominance of PVC (sediment, fish stomachs) and PE and PP (seawater, mussels) was observed in the analyzed samples.

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Ourgaud Mélanie, Phuong Nam Ngoc, Papillon Laure, Panagiotopoulos Christos, Galgani Francois, Schmidt Natascha, Fauvelle Vincent, Brach-Papa Christophe, Sempéré Richard (2022). Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in the Marine Environment Using the Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Technique. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(14), 9999-10009. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c08870 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00779/89090/