Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a technique to detect copper in plastic and microplastic waste

Plastic waste is an environmental problematic, not only because of its own contamination, but also because it can act as a vector for other pollutants, particularly metals. In this work, taking advantage of the sensitivity of the LIBS technique, the presence of copper in plastics and microplastics present in a stream that receives effluents from a medium-sized city was determined. The influence of the digestion process on the collected samples was analyzed. On the other hand, copper retention in commonly used plastics submerged in stream water and in a solution prepared in the laboratory was analyzed. This study confirms that both macroplastics and microplastics collected from a stream that receives effluents from a city, can retain copper.