Simple Generation of Suspensible Secondary Microplastic Reference Particles via Ultrasound Treatment

Microplastics found in nature originate from different sources can be classified accordingly. Primary microplastics are produced as such, whereas secondary microplastics are only created through the weathering of larger plastic parts in the environment.

This paper deals with the production of suitable reference materials for the determination of secondary microplastics, which presents a highly heterogeneous analyte, as it can vary in size, shape, suspensibility in water and particle surface (through aging).

Von der Esch et al. succeeded in developing materials that can provide a correspondingly complex profile. The procedure yields fragments in the range of 100 nm−1mm, which are sufficiently similar in their properties to secondary microplastics that they can be considered suitable reference materials.

The publication is available for download on this website.