Today, microplastics can be found everywhere: in the environment, food, cosmetics, drinking water and textiles. The microscopically small particles cannot be completely removed and due to their size they are difficult to identify . The long-term effects of microplastics on the human organism have hardly been researched to date. Microplastic particles have already been detected in organs, blood, tissue and even cerebrospinal fluid.
In view of the far-reaching effects of microplastics on the environment as well as the health of humans and animals, it is essential to regulate the release and handling of microplastics. Standardized analytical procedures and filtering methods should help to facilitate identification and quantification of microplastic particles. The standard “Principles for the analysis of plastics and microplastics in the environment” (ISO/DIS 24187:2023), which has been in force since last year, is a first significant step in this direction and serves to protect both people and the environment.
In addition to gold-coated track-etched filters, our aluminum-coated membranes i3 TrackPor PA and i3 TrackPor PAR provide the optimum basis for efficient and accurate analysis of microplastics. Both membrane types stand out with their smooth and uniformly reflective surfaces and provide excellent measurement results with all common microscopes and spectroscopes, such as the Agilent 8700 LDIR.
The Agilent 8700 LDIR laser microscope is most impressive with its greatly reduced time required for analysis. Valid results are produced and graphically presented within just a few hours. In combination with an extensive comparison library for microplastic particles, the fully automated workflow of the 8700 LDIR facilitates the respective analysis.
Watch our latest video on microplastic analysis here: