Investigating metal distribution patterns in pristine and ocean-weathered plastics using LA-ICP-TOFMS.

ABSTRACT: Plastic pollution in marine environments poses ecological risks, in part because plastic debris can release hazardous substances, such as metal-based additives. While microplastics have received considerable attention as vectors of contaminants, less is known about larger macroplastics and their role in the spatial and temporal redistribution of substances. In this study, pristine, store-bought plastic items and macroplastics recovered from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) were analysed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify polymer types, and bulk acid digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for total metal quantification. These techniques were complemented by high resolution elemental mapping by Laser Ablation Inducti

SUBMITTER: Hendriks L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12415543 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature