Separation and Detection of Microplastics in Human Exposure Pathways: Challenges, Analytical Techniques, and Emerging...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants detected in human tissues and biological fluids.
• Their presence raises concerns regarding potential human health impacts, necessitating scientific investigation.
• Challenges exist in detecting and quantifying MPs, particularly nanoplastics, in complex biological matrices due to low concentrations and interfering substances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically assess current methods for separating and detecting microplastics in human-relevant samples.
• To identify key challenges and limitations in existing analytical workflows for microplastic analysis.
• To explore recent advancements and innovations that could improve microplastic detection strategies.

Main Methods:

• Review of pre-treatment, separation, and analytical techniques for microplastic analysis.
• Examination of methods including filtration, density separation, chemical/enzymatic digestion, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and microscopy.
• Discussion of emerging technologies like functionalized adsorbents, microfluidic systems, and AI-assisted analysis.

Main Results:

• Current methods face limitations in sample throughput, standardization, and nanoplastic detection.
• Diverse analytical approaches have varying principles, advantages, and drawbacks.
• Recent innovations show promise for more sensitive, scalable, and standardized microplastic detection.

Conclusions:

• Accurate microplastic exposure assessment and risk evaluation are hampered by analytical challenges.
• Advancements in separation and detection technologies are crucial for reliable quantification.
• Developing standardized, reproducible methods is essential for informing public health policies regarding microplastic exposure.