A novel approach to optically detect microplastic in an environmental matrix with Rapid-FLIM

Abstract:
Plastic, especially microplastic, is an increasing thread for our ecosystem and animals living in contaminated environmental areas. Research shows that the detection of microplastic in the environment is difficult and goes hand in hand with a time consuming sample preparation. The extraction of microplastic from the environment has to be done carefully because common identification techniques like near infrared or Raman spectroscopy are hindered by environmental matrices. There is a lack of optical measurement methods to identify microplastics in the matrix at hand. Thus, investigations on Rapid-FLIM, which identifies plastics due to their fluorescence properties, are done. The results of the investigations on artificially prepared matrices using spruce, grass and red high density polyethylene show that a quantitative differentiation of the three materials is possible using Rapid-FLIM.