Application of High-Resolution Near-Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy to Detect Microplastic Particles in Different Environmental Compartments

Microplastic particles (MPP) occur in various environmental compartments all over the world. They have been frequently investigated in oceans, freshwaters, and sediments, but studying their distribution in space and time is somewhat limited by the time-consuming nature of the available accurate detection strategies. Here, we present an enhanced application of lab-based near-infrared imaging (NIR) spectroscopy to identify the total number of MPP, classify polymer types, and determine particle sizes while maintaining short measuring times. By adding a microscopic lens to the hyperspectral camera and a cross slide table to the setup, the overall detectable particle size has been decreased to 100 mu m in diameter. To verify and highlight the capabilities of this enhanced, semi-automated detection strategy, it was applied to key areas of microplastic research, such as a lowland river, the adjacent groundwater wells, and marine beach sediments. Results showed mean microplastic concentrations of 0.65 MPP/L in the Havel River close to Berlin and 0.004 MPP/L in the adjacent groundwater. The majority of MPP detected in the river were PP and PE. In 8 out of 15 groundwater samples, no MPP was found. Considering only the samples with quantifiable MPP, then on average 0.01 MPP/L was present in the groundwater (98.5% removal during bank filtration). The most abundant polymers in groundwater were PE, followed by PVC, PET, and PS. Mean MPP concentrations at two beaches on the German Baltic Sea coast were 5.5 similar to MPP/kg at the natural reserve Heiligensee and Huttelmoor and 47.5 MPP/kg at the highly frequented Warnemunde beach.

Automated summary

Microplastic particles (MPP) are found in various environmental compartments globally, but their distribution in space and time is limited by time-consuming detection methods. This study presents an enhanced lab-based near-infrared imaging (NIR) spectroscopy that can accurately identify and classify MPP and determine their sizes in shorter measuring times. The method was applied to key areas of microplastic research, revealing varying concentrations of MPP in a lowland river, adjacent groundwater wells, and marine beach sediments.