STANDARD ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR THE QUANTIFICATION OF MICROPLASTIC WITH FIBRE SHAPE

This research study made in collaboration between Aquafil Spa and CNR STIIMA (Biella Department) is aimed at the creation of a standard method applicable to the determination of microplastics (MPs) with fibre shape in different matrices present in the textile field such as waste water from clothes washings, water effluents or solids from industrial processes, air. Depending on the matrix of the water sample, it may be necessary to pre-treat the sample to concentrate the microplastics and eliminate inorganic and organic contaminants (e.g. biological) that could interfere with their identification. The method involves a preliminary observation of the sample under an optical microscope and subsequently identification of microplastics with molecular spectroscopy using two different option of molecular spectroscopy techniques, Micro-FTIR (Fourier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy coupled with optical microscopy) and Micro-Raman (Raman Spectroscopy coupled with optical microscopy) to identify and count plastic particles up to a micronic or submicronic dimension. Moreover, it is designed to provide a data about size, numerical concentration, surface area, volume weight of MPs identified in the sample. This work is in progress and the Draft PrENISO 4484-2 Textiles is currently being evaluated by the ISO and CEN commissions, in particular in its CEN Enquiry stage.