TY - JOUR A1 - Mervič, Kristina A1 - Azimzada, Agil A1 - Bayat, Mehmet Emin A1 - Šala, Martin A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - CO2-based matrix-independent carbon quantification approach for single microplastic-ICP-MS analysis N2 - This study presents a new CO2-based, matrix-independent calibration approach for size determination of microplastic (MP) particles using single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS). By incorporating a CO2 gas calibration approach and upon adjusting the flow rates, an accurate size determination of MPs between 2 and 7 μm was enabled. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was successfully applied for method validation. The CO2 gas calibration curves exhibited excellent linearity and reproducibility, with minimal matrix effects across different sample types and matrices, including river water and saline solutions. This CO2-based approach eliminates the limitations of matrix- and size-dependent calibrations, enabling robust and accurate size determinations of MPs. This advancement represents a significant step forward in the analytical capabilities for MPs, paving the way for improved environmental monitoring and assessment of plastic pollution. KW - sp-ICP-MS KW - Microplastic KW - New calibration strategy PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-633049 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-025-05934-9 SN - 1618-2642 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-63304 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -