A team of McGill University researchers has developed a cost-effective, high-throughput technology for detecting nanoplastics and microplastics in the environment.
These particles are pervasive, posing health and environmental risks, yet detecting them at the nanoscale has been difficult. The 3D-printed HoLDI-MS test platform overcomes the limitations of traditional mass spectrometry by enabling direct analysis of samples without requiring complex sample preparation. The researchers say it also will work for detection of waterborne plastic particles. HoLDI-MS stands for hollow-laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.
“With HoLDI, we provide a method that is effective, quantitative, highly accurate and affordable, making it accessible to researchers worldwide,” said Chemistry Professor Parisa Ariya, who led the study published last month in Nature’s Communications Chemistry. “It requires little energy, is recyclable and costs only a few dollars per sample.”
The new method will also advance international co-operation in fighting plastic pollution, in alignment with calls by the United Nations Environment Programme to improve methods, the researchers say.
“Until now, there have been no established universal protocols for nanoplastic detection within the complex environment,” Ariya said.
“This technology allows us to pinpoint the major sources of nano and microplastics in the environment,” she said. “More importantly, it enables data comparison and validation across laboratories worldwide, a crucial step toward harmonizing global research on plastic pollution.”
As part of their study, the researchers identified polyethylene and polydimethylsiloxanes in indoor air, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in outdoor air.
About the study
A HoLDI mass spectrometry platform for airborne nanoplastic detection by Ariya’s laboratories, Wang et al. was published in Nature’s Communications Chemistry.
This work was funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and National Research Council Canada (NRC).
Journal
Communications Chemistry
Media Contact
Claire Loewen
McGill University
Journal
Communications Chemistry
Journal
Communications Chemistry
Keywords
/Physical sciences/Chemistry
bu içeriği en az 2000 kelime olacak şekilde ve alt başlıklar ve madde içermiyecek şekilde ünlü bir science magazine için İngilizce olarak yeniden yaz. Teknik açıklamalar içersin ve viral olacak şekilde İngilizce yaz. Haber dışında başka bir şey içermesin. Haber içerisinde en az 12 paragraf ve her bir paragrafta da en az 50 kelime olsun. Cevapta sadece haber olsun. Ayrıca haberi yazdıktan sonra içerikten yararlanarak aşağıdaki başlıkların bilgisi var ise haberin altında doldur. Eğer yoksa bilgisi ilgili kısmı yazma.:
Subject of Research:
Article Title:
News Publication Date:
Web References:
References:
Image Credits:
Keywords
Tags: 3D-printed analytical toolscost-effective plastic detectionenvironmental health and safetyhigh-throughput mass spectrometryHoLDI-MS platform innovationinternational cooperation in researchMcGill University researchmicroplastics environmental risknanoplastics detection technologyplastic pollution monitoringquantitative analysis of plasticsUN Environment Programme initiatives
