Toward a rapid and convenient nanoplastic quantification method in laboratory-scale study based on fluorescence intensity

doi:10.1007/s11783-024-1821-6

2024, Vol. 18

Issue (5) : 61 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1821-6

Toward a rapid and convenient nanoplastic quantification method in laboratory-scale study based on fluorescence intensity

Ruiqi Yan¹, Sen Lin¹, Qian Ding¹, Lei Zhang¹, Xia Yu¹, Wentao Zhao^2,³, Qian Sui^1,³(

)

¹. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
². State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
³. Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China

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Abstract

● Performance of optical analysis was assessed for nanoplastic (NP) quantification.

● Fluorescence intensity (FI) had high correlation coefficient with NP concentration.

● Quantification limit of the method is below environmental concentrations of NPs.

● Quantification limit only slightly increased with increased matrix in water samples.

● The analytical method offered advantages in both convenience and cost-effectiveness.

The thorough investigation of nanoplastics (NPs) in aqueous environments requires efficient and expeditious quantitative analytical methods that are sensitive to environmentally relevant NP concentrations and convenient to employ. Optical analysis-based quantitative methods have been acknowledged as effective and rapid approaches for quantifying NP concentrations in laboratory-scale studies. Herein, we compared three commonly used optical response indicators, namely fluorescence intensity (FI), ultraviolet absorbance, and turbidity, to assess their performance in quantifying NPs. Furthermore, orthogonal experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of various water quality parameters on the preferred indicator-based quantification method. The results revealed that FI exhibits the highest correlation coefficient (> 0.99) with NP concentration. Notably, the limit of quantification (LOQ) for various types of NPs is exceptionally low, ranging from 0.0089 to 0.0584 mg/L in ultrapure water, well below environmentally relevant concentrations. Despite variations in water quality parameters such as pH, salinity, suspended solids (SS), and humic acid, a robust relationship between detectable FI and NP concentration was identified. However, an increased matrix, especially SS in water samples, results in an enhanced LOQ for NPs. Nevertheless, the quantitative method remains applicable in real water bodies, especially in drinking water, with NP LOQ as low as 0.0157–0.0711 mg/L. This exceeds the previously reported detectable concentration for 100 nm NPs at 40 μg/mL using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. This study confirms the potential of FI as a reliable indicator for the rapid quantification of NPs in aqueous environments, offering substantial advantages in terms of both convenience and cost-effectiveness.

Keywords Nanoplastic quantification Fluorescence intensity Drinking water Limit of quantification (LOQ) Matrix effects

Corresponding Author(s): Qian Sui

Issue Date: 28 February 2024

Cite this article:

Ruiqi Yan,Sen Lin,Qian Ding, et al. Toward a rapid and convenient nanoplastic quantification method in laboratory-scale study based on fluorescence intensity[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(5): 61.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-024-1821-6
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2024/V18/I5/61

Tab.1 Orthogonal factors and their levels

Fig.1 Calibration curves for NPs in ultrapure water based on fluorescence intensity (a)?(d), UV-ABS (e)?(h), and turbidity (i)?(l).

Tab.2 LOQ result for various types of NPs based on FI in ultrapure water

Fig.2 The LOQ values of NPs in simulated water samples labeled 1?9, corresponding to orthogonal test 1?9 (a); The distribution of relative deviation value of LOQs for each type of NP in different simulated water samples compared to the LOQ in ultrapure water (b).

Tab.3 The results of variance analysis for the orthogonal test

Fig.3 Fluorescence intensity and LOQ of different NPs under three suspended solid conditions. Different symbols positioned above the points indicate significant differences among the fluorescence intensity corresponding to different factor levels, as determined by a one-way ANOVA at p < 0.05. (a) 100-PS; (b) 500-PS; (c) 100-PMMA; (d) 500-PMMA.

Fig.4 The LOQ values of NPs in various representative water bodies.

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