This document provides the scope and basic principles for a standardized method for the quantitative analysis and characterization of microplastics (MPs) in air. It establishes a consistent procedural framework covering the entire analytical process, from sampling to pretreatment, analysis, quantification, and characterization of airborne MPs.
This document addresses the collection of air samples using low- or high-volume samplers, recovery and pretreatment of samples using metal filters, and the determination of the number, size, shape, and polymer type of MPs by means of vibrational spectroscopic techniques (e.g., μ-FTIR or μ-Raman) coupled with an image processing system equipped with a microscope. The standardized approach aims to improve the reliability, reproducibility, and comparability of measurement results obtained by different laboratories and studies.
This document applies to the analysis of ambient air, recognizing that MPs can be present as a result of atmospheric transport, deposition, and resuspension and may coexist with particulate matters. It supports the generation of harmonized data for environmental monitoring of airborne MPs and the assessment of their potential impacts on human health and the environment.
This document is applicable to:
a) research institutes, testing and inspection laboratories, and academic bodies conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of MPs in air;
b) governmental and public authorities involved in air quality management, environmental monitoring, and risk assessment related to airborne MPs;
c) industries and service providers engaged in the development of analytical instruments or managemental technologies for MPs in air.
Registration number (WIID)
94332
Scope
This document provides the scope and basic principles for a standardized method for the quantitative analysis and characterization of microplastics (MPs) in air. It establishes a consistent procedural framework covering the entire analytical process, from sampling to pretreatment, analysis, quantification, and characterization of airborne MPs.
This document addresses the collection of air samples using low- or high-volume samplers, recovery and pretreatment of samples using metal filters, and the determination of the number, size, shape, and polymer type of MPs by means of vibrational spectroscopic techniques (e.g., μ-FTIR or μ-Raman) coupled with an image processing system equipped with a microscope. The standardized approach aims to improve the reliability, reproducibility, and comparability of measurement results obtained by different laboratories and studies.
This document applies to the analysis of ambient air, recognizing that MPs can be present as a result of atmospheric transport, deposition, and resuspension and may coexist with particulate matters. It supports the generation of harmonized data for environmental monitoring of airborne MPs and the assessment of their potential impacts on human health and the environment.
This document is applicable to:
a) research institutes, testing and inspection laboratories, and academic bodies conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of MPs in air;
b) governmental and public authorities involved in air quality management, environmental monitoring, and risk assessment related to airborne MPs;
c) industries and service providers engaged in the development of analytical instruments or managemental technologies for MPs in air.
