They may be tiny, but they pose a global problem for humans and the environment: microplastic particles. These are plastic particles with a diameter between one micron and five millimeters. Their accurate analysis is an enormous challenge due to high error rates and the high time demand of previous methods. The considerably improved analysis of microplastics was carried out using a new method, Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Chemical Imaging. It was combined with a new sample preparation protocol that decomposes interfering components of the sample with fewer work steps by chemical and enzymatic reactions. The protocol was developed in the Department of Inorganic Environmental Chemistry led by Dr. Daniel Pröfrock. The chemical characterization of the microplastic particles is based on their absorption of infrared light.
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Source: Phys.org