Standard Protocol for FTIR Analysis of Microplastics

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) imaging is becoming the standard method of analysis

in microplastics research (Olesen et al., 2017). According to Campanale et al. (2023), FTIR is a

useful spectroscopy method for identifying compounds. It has been gaining prominence in

microplastic pollution studies as a highly reliable method for determining the chemical

composition of unknown plastic particles and then comparing this data with the infrared spectra

of other known polymers (Veerasingam et al., 2020). For this reason, FTIR is an effective

method for determining the alterations in the carbonyl groups, hydroxyl, and carbon-oxygen

chemical bonds that are characteristic of aging microplastics (Liu et al., 2020; Brandon et al.,

2016). Moreover, the FTIR approach is frequently employed in the production of optical sensors

that have the potential to be used for continuous detection of both microplastics and nanoplastics

(Asamoah et al., 2021).

FTIR spectroscopy operates by producing an infrared spectrum scan of materials that

absorb infrared radiation. A material's ability to absorb infrared light at various frequencies

results in a distinct "spectral fingerprint" that is determined by the frequency and strength of

those absorptions (Intertek, n.d.). The resulting spectral scan (absorbance or transmittance) is

often particular to a polymer with corresponding functional groups. Spectral scans can be

examined to discover the unknown material's fundamental component by comparing them to

spectral scans of known materials recorded in online databases. A standard infrared scan is

performed in the mid-infrared range of the light spectrum. The mid-infrared area ranges from

400 to 4000 wavenumbers, which corresponds to wavelengths of 2.5 to 25 μm (Türker-Kaya &

Huck, 2017).
Veerasingam, S., Ranjani, M., Venkatachalapathy, R., Bagaev, A., Mukhanov, V., Litvinyuk, D.,

Vethamony, P. (2020). Contributions of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in microplastic

pollution research: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 51(22),

2681–2743. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2020.1807450

Türker-Kaya, S., & Huck, C. W. (2017). A Review of Mid-Infrared and Near-Infrared Imaging:

Principles, Concepts and Applications in Plant Tissue Analysis. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland),

22(1), 168. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22010168

Brandon, J., Goldstein, M., & Ohman, M. D. (2016). Long-term aging and degradation of

microplastic particles: Comparing in situ oceanic and experimental weathering patterns.

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 110(1), 299–308.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.048

Campanale, C., Savino, I., Massarelli, C., & Uricchio, V. F. (2023). Fourier transform infrared

spectroscopy to assess the degree of alteration of artificially aged and environmentally

weathered microplastics. Polymers, 15(4), 911. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040911

Liu, P., Zhan, X., Wu, X., Li, J., Wang, H., & Gao, S. (2020). Effect of weathering on

environmental behavior of microplastics: Properties, sorption and potential risks.

Chemosphere, 242, 125193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125193

Olesen, K. B., Van Alst, N., Simon, M., Vianello, A., Liu, F., & Vollertsen, J. (2017). Analysis

of microplastics using FTIR Imaging: Application note. Agilent.

https://vbn.aau.dk/ws/files/272749138/app_note_of_FTIR_imaging_620_5991_8271EN_

microplastics_wastewater.pdf

Asamoah, B.O., Uurasj¨arvi, E., R¨aty, J., Koistinen, A., Roussey, M., Peiponen, K.-E., 2021.

Towards the development of portable and in situ optical devices for detection of micro-
and nanoplastics in water: a review on the current status. Polymers 13 (5), 730.

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13050730.