How to Control the Airborne Contamination in Laboratory Analyses of Microplastics?

Abstract

Numerous studies have quantified microplastics in biological and environmental samples in recent years, but contamination by airborne microplastic particles during laboratory analysis remains an unsettling possibility. We designed and tested a protocol to minimize airborne contamination during the screening of samples in laboratory conditions in order to increase the level of certainty that microplastics counted really comes from samples. Despite the care and default measures in laboratory routine, some airborne contamination in blanks was found (3.8%) at the beginning of sample screenings. After introducing more stringent procedures on our airborne contamination control protocol (ACC Protocol), a highly significant (p<0.0001) reduction was registered (1.1%). Thus, we prove that the use of a more stringent protocol should be an essential part of future studies quantifying microplastics in any samples. This study concludes that a protocol with simple, low-cost, but stringent measures can reduce airborne microplastic contamination, being applicable to any laboratory setting.

Abiotic factors associated with microplastic pollution in surface water of a tropical estuary

“…This confirms the importance of considering the analysis and the correction to the number of MPs according to the blank. Such an approach increases the fidelity in the abundance of MPs, in any compartment where the research is carried out, be in the abiotic or biological samples (Paiva et al, 2022).…”