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Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater
Published on: November 7, 2025
Lab-on-a-chip systems for microplastic and nanoplastic sampling, detection, characterization and bioassessment
Liyuan Gong1, Erfan Eskandari2, Md Iftakhar Khan2
1Department of General Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Lab on a Chip
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Lab-on-a-chip (LoC) systems offer advanced solutions for analyzing microplastics and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs). These integrated systems improve detection, characterization, and biological impact assessments of plastic pollution.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Microplastics and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) are pervasive environmental contaminants with significant ecological and human health concerns.
- Current analytical methods face challenges in isolating MPs/NPs from complex matrices, achieving submicron sensitivity, and standardizing protocols, limiting a clear understanding of their impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze state-of-the-art lab-on-a-chip (LoC) strategies for microplastic and nanoplastic analysis.
- To evaluate LoC systems for particle sampling, detection, characterization, and biological impact assessments.
- To identify analytical bottlenecks and propose future directions for LoC system integration in plastic pollution research.
Main Methods:
- Review of current analytical techniques for MPs/NPs.
- Analysis of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) strategies including filtration, density-based separation, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-coupled microfluidics.
- Comparison of various in vitro models (2D monolayers, co-cultures, organoids, organ-on-a-chip) for biological impact evaluation.
Main Results:
- LoC systems integrate sample handling, enrichment, characterization, and biological testing in controlled microenvironments.
- Advanced LoC techniques like SERS-coupled microfluidics show promise for improved sensitivity and specificity.
- Variability in biological outcomes is linked to particle properties and cell models, necessitating standardized approaches.
Conclusions:
- Lab-on-a-chip systems offer a powerful, integrated solution for overcoming analytical challenges in microplastic and nanoplastic research.
- LoC technology can enhance the sensitivity, specificity, and throughput of environmental monitoring and human toxicity screening for plastic pollution.
- Standardized LoC platforms are crucial for reproducible ecological analysis and accurate health impact assessments of MPs/NPs.
