ACFs-NH₂ developed for dispersive solid phase extraction combined with Py-GC/MS for nanoplastic analysis in ambient...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate quantification of nanoplastics (NPs) in aquatic environments is crucial but analytically challenging.
• Existing methods often lack the required sensitivity or involve complex procedures.
• Developing sensitive and efficient analytical techniques for NP detection is essential for environmental monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and efficient method for nanoplastic determination in aquatic ecosystems.
• To utilize amino-functionalized activated carbon fibers (ACFs-NH2) for sample pretreatment.
• To enable direct pyrolysis of adsorbed nanoplastics for simplified and eco-friendly analysis.

Main Methods:

• Dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) using self-made ACFs-NH2 for nanoplastic enrichment.
• Detection of nanoplastics using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS).
• Investigation of adsorption dynamics and isotherms to understand the interaction mechanism.

Main Results:

• Achieved low detection limits for nanoplastics in the range of 20-100 μg/L.
• Demonstrated high recovery rates (≥98.45%) for polystyrene nanoplastics using ACFs-NH2.
• The developed method simplifies operations by allowing direct pyrolysis, avoiding organic solvent elution.

Conclusions:

• The ACFs-NH2 DSPE coupled with Py-GC/MS offers a sensitive, rapid, and environmentally friendly approach for nanoplastic analysis in water.
• This strategy effectively addresses the challenge of accurate nanoplastic determination in aquatic systems.
• The method is feasible for the analysis of trace nanoplastics, contributing to better environmental monitoring.