Nano plastics

This status report was prepared within the framework of the cross-cutting topic 1 "Analytics and reference materials" of the research focus. It summarizes the contents of the project discussions and coordination within the cross-cutting issue. The organization of this ongoing process of development or elaboration has been supported by several events.

Plastic particles are almost omnipresent in our environment. Even though nanoplastic pollution also falls into this area of concern, current analytical approaches reach their limits in this size range.

This paper by Schwaferts et al. addresses methodological gaps that exist in the analysis of microplastics. Specifically, it deals with the analysis of nanoparticles, as they are not covered by common analytical methods.