LC-MS analysis to study interaction studies between microplastics and micropollutants
In this video, we present a methodology for investigating the interactions between microplastics and co-existing micropollutants, specifically caffeine and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), at environmentally relevant concentrations in the parts-per-billion (ppb, µg/L) range. The microplastics used in the study were synthesized in-house and characterized in terms of size and morphology using Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) chemical imaging prior to the adsorption experiments.
The interaction between microplastics and the selected micropollutants was evaluated by monitoring the changes in caffeine and PFOA concentrations over a defined exposure period. Due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio and hydrophobic nature, microplastics are known to adsorb various organic contaminants from aqueous environments, which may enhance their role as vectors for pollutant transport.