Interlaboratory Comparison Reveals State of the Art in Microplastic Detection and Quantification Methods

In this study, we investigate the current accuracy of widely used microplastic (MP) detection methods through an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) involving ISO-approved techniques. The ILC was organized under the prestandardization platform of VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards) and gathered a large number (84) of analytical laboratories across the globe. The aim of this ILC was (i) to test and to compare two thermo-analytical and three spectroscopical methods with respect to their suitability to identify and quantify microplastics in a water-soluble matrix and (ii) to test the suitability of the microplastic test materials to be used in ILCs. Two reference materials (RMs), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) as powders with rough size ranges between 10 and 200 μm, were used to press tablets for the ILC. The following parameters had to be assessed: polymer identity, mass fraction, particle number concentration, and particle size distribution. The reproducibility, S<sub>R</sub>, in thermo-analytical experiments ranged from 62%-117% (for PE) and 45.9%-62% (for PET). In spectroscopical experiments, the S<sub>R</sub> varied between 121% and 129% (for PE) and 64% and 70% (for PET). Tablet dissolution turned out to be a very challenging step and should be optimized. Based on the knowledge gained, development of guidance for improved tablet filtration is in progress. Further, in this study, we discuss the main sources of uncertainties that need to be considered and minimized for preparation of standardized protocols for future measurements with higher accuracy.

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Publication Details

Journal
Analytical Chemistry
Published
2025-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05403
Citations
27
Primary Topic
Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
13.60

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article

Interlaboratory Comparison Reveals State of the Art in Microplastic Detection and Quantification Methods

Petra Fengler, Irene Coralli, Jochen Türk, Dina Gabriel et al.
27 citations
Analytical Chemistry
Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
13.60
article

Interlaboratory Comparison Reveals State of the Art in Microplastic Detection and Quantification Methods

Petra Fengler, Irene Coralli, Jochen Türk, Dina Gabriel, Cassandra Rauert, Alexandra ter Halle, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher, Shan Zou, Andrea Mario Giovannozzi, Martin G. J. Löder, Alex van Renesse van Duivenbode, Alessio Gomiero, Tanja Ćirković Veličković, Maria Elisabetta Fadda, Martin Doedt, Georg Dierkes, Soledad Muniategui‐Lorenzo, Justine Receveur, Anja F. R. M. Ramsperger, Marius Bednarz, Priscilla Carrillo-Barragán, Dóra Méhn, Andy Mechlinski, Julia Süssmann, Justine Jacquin, Jacopo La Nasa, Dorte Herzke, Ronan Jézéquel, Vasile‐Dan Hodoroaba, Dmitri Ciornii, Seung‐Kyu Kim, Alessandro Paoletti Perini, Nizar Benismail, Lars Hildebrandt, Greta Biale, Anna K. Undas, Volker Wachtendorf, Daniele Fabbri, J. Ferrer, Alina Maltseva, J.M. Andrade, Damien Cabanes, Stefania Federici, Alessio Sacco, Adrián Jaén-Gil, M.C.F.M. Peters, Jaehak Jung, Raquel Parra, Dong-Hoon Im, Sang-Hee Hong, Elvis D. Okoffo, Natascha Schmidt, Christian Laforsch, Hye-Weon Yu, Federico Benetti, Takahisa Ishimura, Gbotemi A. Adediran, Christoph Krafft, Ana Paula de Oliveira Schmitz, Valbert Nascimento Cardoso, Guyu Peng, Korinna Altmann, Jiamin Wang, Lihui An, Eunju Kim, Nontete Nhlapo, Michela Zanella, Huatao Mo, Andreas Scheitler, Christa van Oversteeg, Jorg Roosma, Tim Bulters, Michael Soll, Felix Steinfeld, Sven Klockmann, Mara Putzu, Moritz Hawly
article en
27 citations

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the current accuracy of widely used microplastic (MP) detection methods through an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) involving ISO-approved techniques. The ILC was organized under the prestandardization platform of VAMAS (Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards) and gathered a large number (84) of analytical laboratories across the globe. The aim of this ILC was (i) to test and to compare two thermo-analytical and three spectroscopical methods with respect to their suitability to identify and quantify microplastics in a water-soluble matrix and (ii) to test the suitability of the microplastic test materials to be used in ILCs. Two reference materials (RMs), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) as powders with rough size ranges between 10 and 200 μm, were used to press tablets for the ILC. The following parameters had to be assessed: polymer identity, mass fraction, particle number concentration, and particle size distribution. The reproducibility, S<sub>R</sub>, in thermo-analytical experiments ranged from 62%-117% (for PE) and 45.9%-62% (for PET). In spectroscopical experiments, the S<sub>R</sub> varied between 121% and 129% (for PE) and 64% and 70% (for PET). Tablet dissolution turned out to be a very challenging step and should be optimized. Based on the knowledge gained, development of guidance for improved tablet filtration is in progress. Further, in this study, we discuss the main sources of uncertainties that need to be considered and minimized for preparation of standardized protocols for future measurements with higher accuracy.

Analytical ChemistryVol. 97(16)
University of Pisa (IT), Universidade da Coruña (ES), Seoul National University of Science and Technology (KR), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg (DE), Federal Institute For Materials Research and Testing (DE), Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KR), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE), Incheon National University (KR), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (NL), The University of Queensland (AU), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (FR), German Institute of Food Technologies (DE), Hohenstein Institute (DE), Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (DE), Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (NL), University of Belgrade (RS), Veneto Nanotech (Italy) (IT), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (GB), Endocontrol (France) (FR), NORCE Research AS (NO), Joint Research Centre (IT), National Metrology Institute of South Africa (ZA), Federal Institute of Hydrology (DE), German Environment Agency (DE), SGS Institut Fresenius (Germany) (DE), Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (DE), Max Rubner Institut (DE), Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid (DE), Centre de Documentation de Recherche et d'Expérimentation sur les Pollutions Accidentelles des Eaux (FR), Asociacion de Investigacion de Materiales Plasticos y Conexas (ES), National Fisheries Institute (US), Águas de Portugal (Portugal) (PT), Institut für Energie- und Umwelttechnik (DE), Klinikum Leverkusen (DE), Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CN), National Research Council Canada (CA), Beijing Academy of Science and Technology (CN), Nestlé (France) (FR), RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (DE), University of Bayreuth (DE), UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO), University of Brescia (IT), Newcastle University (GB), Wageningen University & Research (NL), University of Bologna (IT)
European Partnership on Metrology, Government of Canada, European Commission, National Research Foundation, Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, National Research Foundation of Korea, Norges Forskningsråd, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Xunta de Galicia, Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology promotion, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, National Research Council Canada, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
13.60
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