Dataset Information

Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS.

ABSTRACT: This work describes the development of analytical workflows based on pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of 12 of the most common plastic polymers in environmental samples. The most suitable characteristic pyrolyzate compounds and respective indicator ions were selected for each polymer in order to obtain the most appropriate response for analytical purposes. Additionally, commercial pyrolyzates and polymers libraries were used to confirm the identity of the detected microplastics. The method was validated, showing a good linearity for all the plastic polymers (R² > 0.97) and limits of detection between 0.1 (polyurethane) to 9.1 µg (polyethylene). The developed methodology was successfully applied for the analysis of plastic polymers in environmental microplastic samples collected in three Mediterranean beaches (NE Spain).•Fast and reproducible Pyr-GC/MS method for the analysis of the 12 most common plastic polymers in a single GC/MS run•Straightforward analytical workflows using pyrolyzates and polymers libraries enable a fast identification and quantification of microplastics in environmental samples.

SUBMITTER: Santos LHMLM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10050779 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS.

Santos Lúcia H M L M LHMLM Insa Sara S Arxé Marta M Buttiglieri Gianluigi G Rodríguez-Mozaz Sara S Barceló Damià D

MethodsX 20230321

This work describes the development of analytical workflows based on pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of 12 of the most common plastic polymers in environmental samples. The most suitable characteristic pyrolyzate compounds and respective indicator ions were selected for each polymer in order to obtain the most appropriate response for analytical purposes. Additionally, commercial pyrolyzates and polymers librar ...[more]

PMID: 37007617

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Project description:In the times of Covid-19, face masks are considered to be the main source of protection against the virus that reduces its spread. These masks are classified as single-use medical products with a very short service life, estimated at few days, hence millions of contaminated masks are generated daily in the form of hazardous materials, what requires to develop a safe method to dispose of them, especially since some of them are loaded with viruses. 3-ply face masks (3PFM) represent the major fraction of this waste and are composed mainly from polypropylene and melt blown filter with high content of volatile substances (96.6 wt.%), what makes pyrolysis treatment an emerging technology that could be used to dispose of face masks and convert them into energy products. In this context, this work aims to study pyrolysis kinetic behaviour and TG-FTIR-GC-MS analysis of 3PFM. The research started with analysis of 3PFM using elemental analysis, proximate analysis, and compositional analyses. Afterwards, TG-FTIR system was used to study the thermal and chemical decomposition of 3PFM analyzed at different heating rates: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C/min. The GC/MS system was used to observe the synthesized volatile products at the maximum decomposition temperatures. After that, isoconversional methods, the advanced nonlinear integral isoconversional method, and the iterative linear integral isoconversional method were used to determine the activation energies of mask pyrolysis, while the distributed activation energy model and the independent parallel reactions kinetic model were used to fit TGA and DTG curves with deviations below <1. The TGA-DTG results showed that 3PFM can decompose in three different periods with a total weight loss of 95 % and maximum decomposition in the range 405-510 °C, while the FTIR spectra and GC-MS analysis exhibited that - C-H (aromatic and aliphatic) and 2,4-Dimethyl-1-heptene (28-43 % based on heating rate) represented the major compounds in the released volatile components. Finally, Vyazovkin and the iterative linear integral isoconversional methods gave activation energies almost similar to that obtained by the KAS isoconversional method.

Dataset Information

Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS.

Publications

Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS.

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