Accurate Microplastic Analysis of Bottled Drinking Water Using the Agilent 8700 Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Chemical Imaging System
Microplastics are defined as small plastic particles between 1 µm and 5 mm in size. Due to poor waste management and plastic pollution, they are now documented to be ubiquitous in the environment.1,2 However, pathways of dietary exposure to microplastics are not yet fully understood. The consumption of bottled water has been calculated to increase by 7% annually, with an estimated mean total global consumption of bottled water to be 513 billion liters by 2025. This study demonstrates how the Agilent 8700 Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Chemical Imaging System can accurately identify and quantify the presence of microplastics in bottled drinking water. This study also shows the capability of the Agilent Cary 630 FTIR spectrometer to investigate the source of microplastic contamination.
Inside the Laboratory –– Women in Separation Science Edition
April 25th 2024Inside the Laboratory is a joint series with LCGC and Spectroscopy, profiling analytical scientists and their research groups at universities all over the world. This series spotlights the current chromatographic and spectroscopic research their groups are conducting, and the importance of their research in analytical chemistry and specific industries. In this “Inside the Laboratory –– Women in Separation Science” special edition PDF, we profile four industry leaders and the impact that their research is having in specific fields such as environmental analysis, forensics, national security, and drug development.
