Non-invasive detection and localization of microplastic particles in a sandy sediment by complementary neutron and X-ray tomography

Purpose Microplastics have become a ubiquitous pollutant in marine, terrestrial and freshwater systems that seriously affects aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Common methods for analysing microplastic abundance in soil or sediments are based on destructive sampling or involve destructive sample processing. Thus, substantial information about local distribution of microplastics is inevitably lost. Methods Tomographic methods have been explored in our study as they can help to overcome this limitation because they allow the analysis of the sample structure while maintaining its integrity. However, this capability has not yet been exploited for detection of environmental microplastics. We present a bimodal 3D imaging approach capable to detect microplastics in soil or sediment cores non-destructively. Results In a first pilot study, we demonstrate the unique potential of neutrons to sense and localize microplastic particles in sandy sediment. The complementary application of X-rays allows mineral grains to be discriminated from microplastic particles. Additionally, it yields detailed information on the 3D surroundings of each microplastic particle, which supports its size and shape determination. Conclusion The procedure we developed is able to identify microplastic particles with diameters of approximately 1 mm in a sandy soil. It also allows characterisation of the shape of the microplastic particles as well as the microstructure of the soil and sediment sample as depositional background information. Transferring this approach to environmental samples presents the opportunity to gain insights of the exact distribution of microplastics as well as their past deposition, deterioration and translocation processes.

Automated summary

Microplastics have become a widespread pollutant in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater systems, impacting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Traditional methods for analyzing microplastic abundance in soil or sediments involve destructive sampling, leading to loss of local distribution information. A new bimodal 3D imaging approach has been developed in this study to non-destructively detect microplastics in soil or sediment cores, providing detailed information on their size, shape, and surroundings. This approach can help identify microplastic particles with diameters of around 1 mm and characterize their shape and depositional background, offering insights into distribution, deposition, deterioration, and translocation processes in environmental samples.