Validation and Optimization of an Effective Oxidation and Digestion Method for Isolating Microplastics from Source and Treated Drinking Water Matrices
Abstract
To-date, no method for isolating microplastics (MPs) from background organic and inorganic particles prior to analysis using Raman spectroscopy has been systematically evaluated for freshwater and treated drinking waters. In this study, seven oxidation and digestion methods which were previously presented in the literature were evaluated to compare performance when isolating MPs (> 2 μm) from tap water. Results showed that Fenton’s reaction followed by digestion using cellulase and trypsin was optimal. Subsequent trials were conducted to optimize this method by varying an acidification step as well as reducing reaction times of the oxidation and digestion steps to minimize overall processing time. Adding H2SO4 prior to commencing the Fenton reaction, instead of following its completion, and reducing the reaction time from 24 to 1 h minimized the formation of Fe(III)-organic precipitate. The optimized method was then evaluated using three different source waters to confirm its applicability and reproducibility.
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