Identification of Microplastics in Water

Micro- and nanoplastics pollution in oceans, lakes and other water sources is an on-going and well-documented issue. Sources and entry ways of these plastics include grey water, surface runoff, and litter. Grey water is defi ned as the relatively clean wastewater from sources such as baths, sinks, washing machines and dishwashers. The very small plastic particle size precludes effi cient removal during the wastewater treatment process. As a result, fi sh and other aquatic life ingest the plastics, which introduces them into the food chain and causes possible adverse effects. This work will show the identifi cation of plastics in various water sources after fi ltration followed by analysis by the GERSTEL pyrolyzer in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry.