Microplastic detection (1/4)Microplastic detection (1/4)Microplastic detection (1/4)Microplastic detection (1/4)
  • Our offers
    • Data and process analysis
    • Technology
      • Industrial Wastewater
      • Municipal Wastewater
      • Microplastic-free Production
    • Test Center and Service Lab
      • Microplastics Service Lab
      • Feasibility studies
      • Technical scale and pilot plants
    • Process optimization
    • Workshops and Lectures
    • Testimonials
    • Publications
  • Research
    • Current research and educational projects
    • Research on everyday issues
    • Detection of microplastics
      • REC-MP
      • conti | detect
    • Removal of microplastics
      • EU-Project REMEDIES
      • Biofilm and Microplastics
      • Soils and sludge
    • Reusing microplastics
    • Wastewater treatment plant
      • Advanced Oxidation Process
      • 4th cleaning step plus
      • Sustainable material flow management
    • Digitization
    • Partners
  • Education
    • Digital-real education space WASoMI
    • Freiraeume
    • Team WASoMI
    • Education on water and wastewater
  • Knowledge
    • Water and wastewater
      • Operation of a wastewater treatment plant
      • Circular Economy
      • Blue Economy
    • Microplastics
      • Polymers
      • Liquid Polymers
      • Virtual Microplastics
      • Microplastics Footprint
    • Micropollutants
    • Download area
  • Blog
  • About us
    • Company
    • Sustainability
    • Networks
    • Transparency
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Donate
  • German
✕
Solar Impulse Efficient Label
Solar Impulse Efficient Solution
30. January 2021
Polyethylen grüne Fluoreszenz: Mikroplastik detektieren kann so einfach und kostengünstig sein
Microplastic detection (2/4)
6. February 2021
4. February 2021
Mikroplastik detektieren mit Wasser 3.0 detect: Fluoreszenz macht Mikroplastik sichtbar

Microplastic detection:

(1/4)
Why we developed our own method
There is a lot we know

about microplastics

, but also a lot we don't know yet. There are lots of gaps that need to be closed. Some of these fall into the area of

microplastic detection

. This is an area where closing gaps means quantum leaps in terms of efficient and ecological action. In our

blog for waters without microplastics and micropollutants

we are therefore dedicating a four-part series to it.
What are we missing for

waters without microplastics

?


From our point of view, particularly significant gaps in the knowledge about microplastics are those that slow us down in our speed to launch impactful

solutions for waters without microplastics

. Regarding the detection of microplastics, these two play a crucial role:
 
  1. Conventional methods for microplastic detection are very complicated, time-consuming and expensive.
  2. There is no globally standardized detection method for microplastics.
In this blog post, we focus on the

status quo of detection

and our response to it - Wasser 3.0 detect. Wasser 3.0 detect enables two quantum leaps in microplastic detection. What these are and how they play out concretely, is the subject of parts 2, 3 and 4 of our series on microplastic detection.
Basics for further understanding

To frame the challenges of microplastic detection, it is important to consider some aspects related to microplastics and water.
Microplastics - What am I, and how many exactly?
Mikroplastikdetektion: Hier Mikroplastik aus dem Meerwasser
Microplastic particles are highly complex and highly diverse entities. There are around 200 different types of polymers, including well-known representatives such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. These in turn have the most diverse subcategories and are processed into millions of products. In the manufacturing process, specific functionalities and application-related properties can also be changed by mixing other chemicals ("additives") with the polymers. These include highly toxic substances such as plasticizers, water-repellent per- and polyfluorinated compounds or bisphenol-A.

As soon as

plastic particles with a size smaller than 5 mm enter the environment

(air - soil- water), no distinction is made any longer between 200 individual plastic types or products. The

many different particles

are summarized under the term microplastics.
Water is water is water: The crux of sampling and processing

For us at Wasser 3.0, the primary concern is the detection of microplastics in water, which is why we leave out soils, air, and other sites of their occurrence such as the human body here.

Detecting microplastics in water means being confronted with these factors, among others:

  • Waters are very different. Drinking water, groundwater, surface water, seawater, process water - all of these waters have highly diverse properties and components.
  • Waters are contaminated with a variety of different (micro)pollutants. The water cycle is a highly interconnected system that links civilization in general, industrial mass production, and our ecosystems worldwide in myriad ways.
20201128_142727_1
Probably the biggest challenge in detecting microplastics is distinguishing microplastics from natural particles.

Michael Sturm

This means: On one microplastic particle in the water sample can come thousands, sometimes millions of natural particles. These are, like microplastics, often based on carbon and sometimes also polymers. A distinction is anything but simple.

Preparing water samples for detection is an extremely time-consuming process that is highly prone to mistakes and contaminations. According to current protocol, we need between 3 and 9 days for sample preparation using conventional detection methods.
Why we need an

easy-to-use, fast and cost-effective detection method



Conventional methods of

microplastic detection are expensive, complicated and time-consuming

. In particular, they are not suitable for making continuous and accurate analysis of pollution situations in water bodies or processes of (waste)water purification.

As we will see in the context of our blog posts on microplastic detection, this is a problem from many points of view. It presented us with this specific one some time ago: With the milestones we reached in the development of Wasser 3.0 PE-X®, one thing became clear to us very quickly: We need a new method and/or tool for

detecting microplastic concentrations in waters

. Only in this way will we be able to

continuously and efficiently align and optimize our materials, processes and technologies

.
State of art

Conventionally used methods and instruments for field monitorings and laboratory investigations of

microplastic pollution do not meet our requirements, especially with regard to the following reasons:

So geht Wissenschafsjournalismus nichts.
  • Microscopes used to visually identify microplastics have low reliability, especially for small, transparent and/or fibrous particles. This can lead to an over- or underestimation of actual contamination situations.
  • Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) or Raman spectroscopy with microscope used for chemical identification of microplastics require expensive instrumentation, complex setups, and are time consuming.
  • Some detection methods take a singular approach to specific polymers. By this partial view of the overall situation, much is lost, which should absolutely be detected under the aspect of ecological relevance and analytical accuracy.
  • Sample preparations are highly prone to error. With each time a water sample is taken in hand, it is exposed to potential contamination by microplastics. Why? Because microplastics are everywhere: In the air, in the water, on lab benches, in glassware, in analytical instruments. The number of sample preparation steps, the type of environment (clean room vs.`normal' lab), and clothing can be

    a potential source of microplastics`

    input.
These facts make detection a highly sensitive issue. Which is why all values must be evaluated with extreme care and, above all, caution.
The end of the blind flight
Transparente Zivilgesellschaft bedeutet für uns Kommunikation über das was wir tun und das Warum dahinter.
Conventional

detection methods and their limitations in the field of microplastics

lead to the fact that

municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants

worldwide operate virtually in 'blind flight'. Waiting between one and four weeks for analytical results, investing large amounts of money or having unreliable data became increasingly unacceptable and frustrating for us. Our goal is to have highly efficient analysis and reproducible and traceable elimination rates in continuously running systems with changing contamination situations.

Therefore, we defined the criteria for our

'ideal' detection of microplastics in waters

with these three key criteria: easy to use - fast - cost-effective. In the next part of our detection series, we will answer the question why it is high time for a standardized detection method for microplastics. Wasser 3.0 detect was born.

More behind-the-scenes insights into Wasser 3.0 detect will be available in the next blog. If you don't want to wait, check out our publications for more scientific information.

To ensure that our work continues full steam ahead, we are looking for sponsors in this area. Donations are also very welcome. If you would like to support us, you can find some ways here or contactus directly.

Related posts

Weltwassertag Gewinnspiel
1. March 2023

Outlook for World Water Day


Read more
Teaser Nordic Water
22. February 2023

Partners in Mission: Nordic Water


Read more
Neues aus dem Forschungsumfeld der Mikroplastik-Detektion
17. February 2023

News about Micropastics Detection


Read more

Are you enthusiastic about our work for water without microplastics and micropollutants? Then please support us as a project partner or with your donations.

Links

Company

Microplastics removal

Microplastics Service Lab

Municipal Wastewater Treatment

Educational tools

Donate

Blog Subjects

Wasser 3.0 gGmbH

Microplastics

Micropollutants

Education

Water

Meet & Greet

Newsletter

Contact

© 2023 Wasser 3.0 | Datenschutzerklärung / Privacy Policy | Impressum / Imprint | AGB | Contact
  • No translations available for this page