Innovations in Microplastic Measurement: A Pyrolysis Approach for a Polyethylene Terephthalate Reference Material
- In the framework of the PlasticTrace project, in which a reference material for PET microplastics will be proposed, a method using pyrolysis and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection (Py-GC-MS) is developed to quantify the mass of PET microplastics (10-100 µm) in tablets at two different concentration levels.
The overall aim of this project is to develop international metrological capacity that enables the traceable measurement and characterization of SMPs and NPs in environmental and food samples and the production of suitable reference materials, according to the metrological requirements (https://plastictrace.eu/).
The proposed method consists of dissolving the tablet containing the PET microplastics in milli-Q water and filtering the solution using a glass microfiber membrane 13 mm filter size, 1.6 µm pore size. After filtering and several washes to ensure complete dissolution of the tablet and recovery of all PET microplastics, the filter is removed,In the framework of the PlasticTrace project, in which a reference material for PET microplastics will be proposed, a method using pyrolysis and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection (Py-GC-MS) is developed to quantify the mass of PET microplastics (10-100 µm) in tablets at two different concentration levels.
The overall aim of this project is to develop international metrological capacity that enables the traceable measurement and characterization of SMPs and NPs in environmental and food samples and the production of suitable reference materials, according to the metrological requirements (https://plastictrace.eu/).
The proposed method consists of dissolving the tablet containing the PET microplastics in milli-Q water and filtering the solution using a glass microfiber membrane 13 mm filter size, 1.6 µm pore size. After filtering and several washes to ensure complete dissolution of the tablet and recovery of all PET microplastics, the filter is removed, folded, and placed in a capsule of the pyrolyzer for direct Py-GC/MS analysis.
Two main markers were selected for PET quantification: vinyl benzoate and benzoic acid, with consistent concentrations found for both at high PET concentrations (≈400 µg) (24% RSD, n=17), but interferences with the matrix and vinyl benzoate were found at low concentrations (≈17 µg PET), with only benzoic acid being valid as a marker in this case (22% RSD, n=10).
As an alternative to the quantification of PET microplastics in tablets at low concentrations, derivatization is proposed, for which tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution (TMAH) is added directly into the pyrolysis cap. The PET marker in this case is dimethyl terephthalate, with which good results have also been found (19.6% RSD, n=10 ).
The proposed method is robust, simple, with high automation and very little sample handling and treatment, and allows the analysis of PET microplastics (>10 µm) in tablets with excellent accuracy and precision even at very low concentrations.…


| Autor*innen: | V. Fernández-González |
|---|---|
| Koautor*innen: | C. M. Moscoso-Pérez, Yosri Wiesner, P. López-Mahía, Korinna AltmannORCiD, S. M. Lorenzo |
| Dokumenttyp: | Posterpräsentation |
| Veröffentlichungsform: | Präsentation |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2025 |
| Organisationseinheit der BAM: | 6 Materialchemie |
| 6 Materialchemie / 6.5 Synthese und Streuverfahren nanostrukturierter Materialien | |
| DDC-Klassifikation: | Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / Chemie / Analytische Chemie |
| Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Sanitär- und Kommunaltechnik; Umwelttechnik | |
| Freie Schlagwörter: | GC/MS; Microplastics; Nanoplastics |
| Themenfelder/Aktivitätsfelder der BAM: | Chemie und Prozesstechnik |
| Chemie und Prozesstechnik / Chemische Charakterisierung und Spurenanalytik | |
| Umwelt | |
| Umwelt / Umwelt-Material-Interaktionen | |
| Veranstaltung: | SETAC Europe 2025 |
| Veranstaltungsort: | Vienna, Austria |
| Beginndatum der Veranstaltung: | 11.05.2025 |
| Enddatum der Veranstaltung: | 15.05.2025 |
| Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments: | Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access") |
| Datum der Freischaltung: | 16.06.2025 |
| Referierte Publikation: | Nein |

