Refined Analysis of Microplastics: Integrating Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy

Microplastics are a serious environmental threat, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and human health. Controlling and mitigating these effects requires a detailed understanding of the physicochemical characteristics of these contaminants. This study aims to enhance the analysis of microplastics in aquatic environments by focusing on the optimization and integration of advanced characterization techniques, such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy. The goal is to improve accuracy in identifying the polymers that makeup microplastics, which is crucial for developing effective strategies for mitigating and controlling aquatic contamination. To this end, the application of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy is suggested in this review article, as it significantly improves signal-to-noise ratio, enabling more detailed detection of plastic residues and adsorbed microorganisms. These integrated analyses facilitate the acquisition of more robust and detailed data, essential for formulating effective solutions to the microplastics problem. Additionally, FTIR and Raman spectra were generated for polymers commonly found as microplastics, such as PP, LDPE, PS, and PVC, due to their widespread use in various materials. These standards will provide crucial data for identifying unknown microplastics, significantly contributing to the accuracy and reliability of the analyses.