Scientists discover solution to measure harmful plastic particles

As the way microplastics are measured and counted varies from place to place, there is no agreed understanding of the weight of the problem.

Portsmouth [UK]: In order to determine how best to measure hidden and potentially dangerous plastics in human sewage, during a recent study, scientists conducted research on wastewater. The study was published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.

As the way microplastics are measured and counted varies from place to place, there is no agreed understanding of the weight of the problem. Until scientists can agree on one way of measuring them, life on land and sea will continue to ingest who knows how much plastic, affecting health for generations. A new study, by the University of Portsmouth, has examined one method, using a chemical solution called ‘Fenton reagent’ to remove organic matter from sewage. It found it has significant advantages in processing times and costs over other currently available methods of testing.

Project Lead Dr Fay Couceiro, Senior Research Fellow in Biogeochemistry at the University of Portsmouth, said, “Multiple digestions with Fenton reagent involves mixing the sewage with hydrogen peroxide and iron sulphide multiple times to breakdown the organic matter. When followed by density separation, where you float off the plastics from everything else, it provides a cleaner sample so the size and type of microplastic can be determined with much less interference.”

Professor Steve Fletcher, Director of the University’s Revolution Plastics initiative, said, “Having some idea of the amount of microplastics in the environment is key to understanding and stopping the potential harmful impacts that this new category of emerging pollutants could have on life on earth.”