TY - JOUR
T1 - A Novel Strategy to Directly Quantify Polyethylene Microplastics in PM2.5Based on Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
AU - Luo, Peiru
AU - Bai, Mengke
AU - He, Qingyun
AU - Peng, Zifang
AU - Wang, Lingyun
AU - Dong, Chuan
AU - Qi, Zenghua
AU - Zhang, Wenfen
AU - Zhang, Yanhao
AU - Cai, Zongwei
N1 - We thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22106129). We also are thankful for the use of the analytical instrument from the Center of Advanced Analysis and Gene Sequencing, Zhengzhou University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2023/2/21
Y1 - 2023/2/21
N2 - The broad application of plastic products has resulted in a considerable release of microplastics (MPs) into the ecosystem. While MPs in other environmental matrices (e.g., soil and water) have been studied for a long time, the atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-bound MPs are rarely investigated due to the lack of an appropriate analytical approach. The prevalently used visual and spectroscopic means (e.g., optical microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy) suffer from obvious drawbacks that cannot precisely detect MPs of tiny sizes and provide quantitative information. In the present study, a novel strategy that does not require sample pretreatment was developed to first effectuate accurate quantification of polyethylene MP (PE-MP) in PM2.5 based on pyrolysis-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS/MS). It featured acceptable recoveries (97%-110%), high sensitivity (LOD = 1 pg), and qualified precisions (RSD of 3%-13%). Employing this approach, for the first time, exact atmospheric concentrations of PE-MPs in PM2.5 from megacities in North (Zhengzhou and Taiyuan) and South (Guangzhou) China were obtained, and relatively serious pollution was found in Taiyuan. The 100% sample detection rates also suggested the widespread occurrence and possible human exposure risks of PM2.5-bound PE-MPs. In brief, the new strategy could conduct direct, sensitive, and accurate quantification of PE-MP in PM2.5, favoring further studies of environmental fates, distributions, and toxicities of atmospheric MPs.
AB - The broad application of plastic products has resulted in a considerable release of microplastics (MPs) into the ecosystem. While MPs in other environmental matrices (e.g., soil and water) have been studied for a long time, the atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-bound MPs are rarely investigated due to the lack of an appropriate analytical approach. The prevalently used visual and spectroscopic means (e.g., optical microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy) suffer from obvious drawbacks that cannot precisely detect MPs of tiny sizes and provide quantitative information. In the present study, a novel strategy that does not require sample pretreatment was developed to first effectuate accurate quantification of polyethylene MP (PE-MP) in PM2.5 based on pyrolysis-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS/MS). It featured acceptable recoveries (97%-110%), high sensitivity (LOD = 1 pg), and qualified precisions (RSD of 3%-13%). Employing this approach, for the first time, exact atmospheric concentrations of PE-MPs in PM2.5 from megacities in North (Zhengzhou and Taiyuan) and South (Guangzhou) China were obtained, and relatively serious pollution was found in Taiyuan. The 100% sample detection rates also suggested the widespread occurrence and possible human exposure risks of PM2.5-bound PE-MPs. In brief, the new strategy could conduct direct, sensitive, and accurate quantification of PE-MP in PM2.5, favoring further studies of environmental fates, distributions, and toxicities of atmospheric MPs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85148022092&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05477
DO - 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05477
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85148022092
SN - 0003-2700
VL - 95
SP - 3556
EP - 3562
JO - Analytical Chemistry
JF - Analytical Chemistry
IS - 7
ER -
