Pyrolysis GCMS The Power of Mass Spectrometry for Unveiling Plastic Contamination in the Environment

Plastic pollution is a major environmental issue faced at global scale. Micro- and nanoplastics enter the environment in consumer and industrial products and as breakdown products of plastics of larger size (macroplastics). Initial efforts to assess the environmental risk associated with plastic pollution focused on the marine environment; however, micro- and nanoplastics have been found in a variety of environmental compartments: wastewater, surface water, biosolids… Molecular spectroscopy-based methods were first employed for studying these contaminants. Recently, pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS) has been successfully applied for the identification and quantitation of various types of plastics. In this event, our two speakers will discuss the suitability of this technique for assessing the fate of microplastics in the environment. They will also present examples of how they have applied Py-GCMS for studying these contaminants in water, biosolids and seafood samples, among others.

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Informative.