Identification of microplastics in wastewater after cascade filtration using Pyrolysis-GC–MS
Matin Funck,
Aylin Yildirim,
Carmen Nickel,
Jürgen Schram,
Torsten C. Schmidt,
Jochen Tuerk
Affiliations
Matin Funck
Institut für Energie – und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology), Bliersheimer Str. 58-60, 47229 Duisburg, Germany; Instrumental Analytical Chemistry (IAC), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
Aylin Yildirim
Institut für Energie – und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology), Bliersheimer Str. 58-60, 47229 Duisburg, Germany
Carmen Nickel
Institut für Energie – und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology), Bliersheimer Str. 58-60, 47229 Duisburg, Germany
Jürgen Schram
Instrumental Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Frankenring 20, Krefeld, Germany
Torsten C. Schmidt
Instrumental Analytical Chemistry (IAC), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 2, 45141 Essen, Germany; IWW Water Centre, Moritzstraße 26, 45476 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
Jochen Tuerk
Institut für Energie – und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology), Bliersheimer Str. 58-60, 47229 Duisburg, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 2, 45141 Essen, Germany; Corresponding author at: Institut für Energie- und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology), Department of Environmental Hygiene and Micropollutants, Bliersheimer Str. 58-60, 47229 Duisburg, Germany.
The combination of a representative microplastic sampling method and a fast-quantitative analysis using Pyrolysis-GC–MS (Py-GC–MS) for investigation of the microplastic load and mass balances is presented in this work. A representative microplastic filtration requires a method allowing quick extraction of the sample. The developed steel based cascadic microplastic filtration uses steel basket filters with mesh sizes of 100 μm, 50 μm and 10 μm and a mean recovery of 86 % without cross contamination was achieved. Thermoanalytical methods have the advantage of minimal sample preparation with short analysis times. The presented platinum filament-based Py-GC–MS method requires little sample preparation and quantification limits for polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE) were 0.03 μg and 1 μg absolute, respectively. The relative standard deviation of the analytical method is 11 %. The combined method allows representative sampling and analysis of MP from water bodies and waste water treatment plants within 48 h. • Presentation of a validated steel based cascadic microplastic filtration plant. • Fast and reproduceable Py-GC–MS analysis method for microplastic. • Py-GC–MS allows microplastic analysis with little sample preparation.
