Advances in Ultra-Trace Analytical Capability for Micro/Nanoplastics and Water-Soluble Polymers in the Environment : Fresh Falling Urban Snow

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Discarded micro/nano-plastic inputs into the environment are emerging global concerns. Yet the quantification of micro/nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices is still a major challenge, notably for soluble ones. We herein develop in-laboratory built nanostructures (zinc oxide, titanium oxide and cobalt) coupled to mass spectrometry techniques, for picogram quantification of micro/nanoplastics in water and snow matrices, without sample pre-treatment. In parallel, an ultra-trace quantification method for micro/nanoplastics based on nanostructured laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (NALDI-TOF-MS) is developed. The detection limit is ∼5 pg for ambient snow. Soluble polyethylene glycol and insoluble polyethylene fragments were observed and quantified in fresh falling snow in Montreal, Canada. Complementary physicochemical studies of the snow matrices and reference plastics using laser-based particle sizers, inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry, and high-resolution scanning/transmission electron microscopy, produced consistent results with NALDI, and further provided information on morphology and composition of the micro/nano-plastic particles. This work is promising as it demonstrates that a wide range of recyclable nanostructures, in-laboratory built or commercial, can provide ultra-trace capability for quantification for both soluble polymers and insoluble plastics in air, water and soil. It may thereby produce key missing information to determine the fate of micro/nanoplastics in the environment, and their impacts on human health.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:276

Enthalten in:

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) - 276(2021) vom: 01. Mai, Seite 116698

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Wang, Zi [VerfasserIn]
Saadé, Nadim K [VerfasserIn]
Ariya, Parisa A [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

059QF0KO0R
Emerging contaminants
Journal Article
Micro/nano-plastic particles
Microplastics
Nanostructure mass spectrometry
Picogram detection
Plastics
Polymers
Ultra-trace quantification capability
Urban environment
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 13.09.2023

Date Revised 13.09.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116698

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM321698797