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Cloud-Point Extraction Combined with Thermal Degradation for Nanoplastic Analysis Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry
journal contribution
posted on 2018-12-27, 00:00 authored by Xiao-xia Zhou, Li-teng Hao, Huang-ying-zi Wang, Ying-jie Li, Jing-fu LiuThe contamination
of micro- and nanoplastics in marine systems
and freshwater is a global issue. Determination of micro- and nanoplastics
in the aqueous environment is of high priority to fully assess the
risk that plastic particles will pose. Although microplastics have
been detected in a variety of aquatic ecosystems, the analysis of
nanoplastics remains an unsolved challenge. Herein, for the first
time, a Triton X-45 (TX-45)-based cloud-point extraction (CPE) was
proposed to preconcentrate trace nanoplastics in environmental waters.
Under the optimum extraction conditions, an enrichment factor of 500
was obtained for two types of nanoplastics with different compositions,
polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), without disturbing
their original morphology and sizes. Additionally, following thermal
treatment at 190 °C for 3 h, the CPE-obtained extract could be
submitted to pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
(Py-GC/MS) analysis for mass quantification of nanoplastics. Taking
66.2 nm PS nanoplastics and 86.2 nm PMMA nanoplastics as examples,
the proposed method showed excellent reproducibility, and high sensitivity
with respective detection limits of 11.5 and 2.5 fM. Feasibility of
the proposed approach was verified by application of the optimized
procedure to four real water samples. Recoveries of 84.6–96.6%
at a spiked level of 88.6 fM for PS nanoplastics and 76.5–96.6%
at a spiked level of 50.4 fM for PMMA nanoplastics were obtained.
Consequently, this work provides an efficient approach for nanoplastic
analysis in environmental waters.
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nanoplastic analysisdetection limitsCPE50.4 fMPS nanoplasticsTriton X -45PMMA nanoplasticsThermal Degradationoptimized procedureenrichment factor66.2 nm PS nanoplasticsCloud-Point Extractionmarine systems88.6 fMplastic particlespreconcentrate trace nanoplastics86.2 nm PMMA nanoplasticsNanoplastic Analysis3 h2.5 fMmass quantificationextraction conditionswater samplesTX
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