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UV-Triggered Chemiluminescence as a Bulk Surrogate Indicator for Microplastic Contamination in Aquatic Matrices
Hyunseo Jo1, YunKyung Lee1, Jin Hur1
1Department of Environment and Energy, Center for Earth and Environment Research (CEER), Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, South Korea.
Analytical Chemistry
|June 29, 2026
Summary
A new UV-triggered chemiluminescence assay rapidly screens microplastic (MP) contamination in water. This method quantifies microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter, offering a faster alternative to traditional particle-based detection for environmental monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Water Quality Assessment
Background:
- Assessing microplastic (MP) contamination in water is challenging due to limitations in particle-resolved methods, especially for nanoplastics.
- Existing techniques are often low-throughput and struggle with size-dependent detection limits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-throughput, rapid screening assay for microplastic contamination in complex aquatic environments.
- To establish a chemiluminescence-based method for quantifying microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM).
Main Methods:
- A UV-triggered chemiluminescence (CL) assay using luminol-H2O2 flow-injection analysis (FIA-CL) was developed.
- Microplastics (polyethylene, polystyrene) underwent UV weathering to generate MP-DOM, which was then quantified via CL.
- The assay requires minimal sample volume (1 mL) and analysis time (minutes) after a short pretreatment (30 min).
Main Results:
- The FIA-CL assay demonstrated reproducible, polymer-dependent responses to microplastic loading (0.1-0.5 g L-1) with high linearity (R2 > 0.92).
- Assay performance was optimal under near-neutral pH and 30 min UV irradiation; iron oxide was identified as a significant interferent.
- CL intensity correlated with dissolved organic carbon and humic-like components, indicating MP-DOM quantity and composition influence the signal.
Conclusions:
- The UV-assisted FIA-CL approach provides a rapid, mechanistically supported bulk-screening method for microplastic contamination assessment.
- This technique serves as a valuable complementary tool to particle-resolved methods for analyzing realistic environmental samples like urban streamwater and wastewater effluent.
