Quantitative assessment of visual microscopy as a tool for microplastic research: Recommendations for improving methods and reporting.

ABSTRACT: Microscopy is often the first step in microplastic analysis and is generally followed by spectroscopy to confirm material type. The value of microscopy lies in its ability to provide count, size, color, and morphological information to inform toxicity and source apportionment. To assess the accuracy and precision of microscopy, we conducted a method evaluation study. Twenty-two laboratories from six countries were provided three blind spiked clean water samples and asked to follow a standard operating procedure. The samples contained a known number of microplastics with different morphologies (fiber, fragment, sphere), colors (clear, white, green, blue, red, and orange), polymer types (PE, PS, PVC, and PET), and sizes (ranging from roughly 3-2000 μm), and natural materials (natural hair, f

SUBMITTER: Kotar S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11197986 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature