First record of characterization, concentration and distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments of an urban fjord in south west Norway using a thermal degradation method.

First record of characterization, concentration and distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments of an urban fjord in south west Norway using a thermal degradation method. Chemosphere. 2019 Jul;227:705-714 Authors: Gomiero A, Øysæd KB, Agustsson T, van Hoytema N, van Thiel T, Grati F Abstract Plastic waste is of increasing concern in the aquatic environment. A large proportion of plastic waste is generated onshore from where it eventually reaches the marine environment, which is considered the main sink of plastic debris To date there is a substantial lack of knowledge on the composition of these accumulated polymers, their environmental levels and distribution in marine and coastal areas. Current efforts are underway to develop standardized methods to characterize and quantify the occurrence of microplastic in different environmental matrices using microscopy-oriented methods using Fourier Transformed Infra-Red (FTIR) or Raman techniques. However, time-consuming sample preparation, processing and interpretation of complex data limits their use within monitoring programs. As an alternative, a thermal degradation method based on a gas chromatographic mass spectrometer coupled with pyrolysis represents a validated method for qualitative and quantitative polymer analyses. A technique has been developed that combines sample preparation and thermo-analysis for identifying microplastics in samples of marine sediment. Quantification...
Source: Chemosphere - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Chemosphere Source Type: research