Microplastic analytics: measure instead of estimate
Wasser 3.0 detect identifies microplastics by fluorescent staining — with recovery rates between 93.3 % and 101.7 % for different polymer types, and around 1 hour of working time per sample. That is what makes the high sample numbers affordable that reliable monitoring requires in the first place.
This page gives the method's figures and its references.
Last reviewed: August 2026· Next review: Dezember 2026
Why microplastics are barely measured today
Spectroscopic methods are laborious, expensive and impractical for continuous monitoring. The result is thin data — precisely where measurement becomes mandatory from 2027: the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (EU) 2024/3019 requires the competent authorities to monitor microplastics at the inlet and outlet of treatment plants from 10,000 population equivalents. A binding measurement methodology is still pending; it is to be established through implementing acts.
Anyone waiting for it will start without comparative data. Anyone measuring to a standardised method now will have a time series by then — and with this parameter, that is what counts.
How the method works
1. Fluorescent staining with abcr eco Wasser 3.0 detect MP-1
The reagent abcr eco Wasser 3.0 detect MP-1 is added to the prepared water sample and stains plastic particles. Under the fluorescence microscope they luminesce far more strongly than natural particles and thus become countable. The basis is a family of purpose-developed fluorescence dyes whose suitability we compared and published (Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2021, 413, 1059; Analytica 2023, 4, 27).
Important for interpretation: the distinction between synthetic and natural particles is very good, but not absolute. It depends on dye, sample preparation and evaluation method (Analytica 2023, 4, 27). We therefore document the method in every report: a figure without its method is not comparable.
2. Automated counting
The fluorescence images are evaluated by script. Automation substantially improves comparability over manual counting — it removes the analyst as a source of error.
3. Standardised sampling with the Particle Sampling Unit
The Particle Sampling Unit (PSU) filters volumes of 0.1 to 10 m³ on site at 10 µm. It achieves a mean relative standard deviation of 41 ± 17 % against 64 ± 19 % for conventional grab sampling (Microplastics 2026, 5, 75).
In the river study, the PSU returned concentrations 4.7 times higher than grab sampling (Microplastics 2025, 4, 63). Monitoring based on grab samples systematically underestimates contamination.
How many samples you need
For a ± 25 % margin of error at 95 % confidence you need 21 samples with the PSU or 51 grab samples (Microplastics 2026, 5, 75). Single samples are not representative: in the effluent of a municipal treatment plant, concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 194.0 particles per litre over two years and three months (Microplastics 2024, 3, 492).
Tell us the margin of error you need and we will calculate the number of samples. That is the most honest basis for a quote.
Proven in practice
- Long-term monitoring at a municipal treatment plant: 320 samples over two years and three months (Microplastics 2024, 3, 492).
- Comparison of three treatment plants with two, three and four treatment stages under identical methodology (Water 2025, 17, 711).
- River monitoring across three German rivers, 4 to 1,761 particles per litre (Microplastics 2025, 4, 63).
- Process-monitoring analysis of removal pilots using Wasser 3.0 PE-X® technology at the Mykonos wastewater treatment plant (Clean Technol. 2026, 8, 32) and and in industrial wastewater (Clean. Technol. 2025, 7, 63)
- Four water matrices in the method comparison: treatment plant effluent, tap water, combined sewer overflow, surface water (Microplastics 2026, 5, 75).
All work is available in open access: Publications.
Areas of application
- Municipal treatment plants: monitoring under the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, process optimisation, demonstrating removal performance. Our full service: Wastewater Treatment.
- Industrial wastewater: quality control and a data basis for documentation duties, for instance under Regulation (EU) 2025/2365 on pellet losses. Our offering: Industry.
- Water body monitoring: standardised recording in rivers, lakes and seas, including in the Global Map of Microplastics.
- Educational institutions: hands-on environmental education using the same methodology. Offers for schools.
- Research and development: validating new treatment technologies, such as microplastic removal.
Full service or measure yourself
Full service: we handle on-site sampling, preparation and detection in the laboratory, and reporting that states the number of samples, the variance and the methodology.
Measure yourself: our manuals for standardised microplastic analytics describe sampling and preparation. The microscope modification can be built from materials costing under EUR 30 (Analytica 2023, 4, 27).
Next Step
Tell us the water type, the period and the precision you need — we will calculate the sample count and the quote. Get in touch.
Further information
