Usability and Usefulness of Portable Analytical Instruments for In-Situ Analysis of Microplastics in Soil

Soil can be directly polluted with microplastics (MPs) and it additionally acts as a major sink for MPs from atmospheric deposition and surface waters. Accumulation of MPs in soil and their persistence in the soil environment prioritizes efforts to effectively assess pollution levels and undertake measures to protect soil from long-term adverse effects. Of various analytical techniques available for MP detection and characterization, portable instruments based on spectroscopic, electrochemical, mass spectrometric, and optical imaging methods gain an increasing interest. They are useful for initial screening and selection of soil samples for detailed analysis and reduce the risk of contamination during sample transport, storage, and laboratory treatment. They are more environmentally friendly and better comply with green analytical chemistry principles than their laboratory counterparts. However, their analytical performance needs to be improved. This article discusses portable analytical instruments used for in-situ analysis of MPs in soil and shows their advantages and limitations.