The contamination of freshwater with microplastics (MPs) has been established globally. While the analysis of MPs has predominantly involved spectroscopic methods for revealing particle numbers, the potential of employing spectroscopy for mass estimation has been underutilized. Consequently, there is a need to enhance our understanding of the mass loads of MPs and ensure the complementarity and comparability of various techniques for accurate quantification. This study presents the first comparative results on urban water samples using micro Fourier-transform infrared (μ-FTIR) imaging and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) to identify and quantify MPs in both particle numbers and mass concentration. Two sampling campaigns in summer and winter were conducted at 11 locations within the Amsterdam canal network. An advanced in-situ volume-reducing sampling pump was employed to collect MPs from the surface water within the size fraction of 10–300 μm. The analysis revealed MP concentrations within the range of 16–107 MP/m, estimated to be 2.0–789 μg/m by μ-FTIR imaging and 8.5–754 μg/m by Py-GC-MS. The results of the two analysis techniques showed good comparability in terms of the general trends of MP abundances, with variations in polymer compositions due to the inherent inter-methodological differences. Elevated MP concentrations were observed in the city center compared to the suburban areas. In addition, seasonal differences in MP abundances were noted at the locations with high human activity.

中文翻译：

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使用 μ-FTIR 和 Py-GC-MS 进行城市水域微塑料比较分析：阿姆斯特丹案例研究


淡水被微塑料 (MP) 污染的情况已在全球范围内得到证实。虽然 MP 的分析主要涉及用于揭示粒子数量的光谱方法，但利用光谱进行质量估计的潜力尚未得到充分利用。因此，有必要加强我们对 MP 质量载荷的理解，并确保各种技术的互补性和可比性，以实现准确量化。本研究首次使用微傅里叶变换红外 (μ-FTIR) 成像和热解-气相色谱-质谱 (Py-GC-MS) 技术对城市水样进行比较，以识别和量化 MP 的颗粒数量和质量浓度。夏季和冬季在阿姆斯特丹运河网络内的 11 个地点进行了两次采样活动。采用先进的原位减容采样泵从地表水中采集粒径为 10–300 μm 的 MP。分析显示 MP 浓度在 16–107 MP/m 范围内，μ-FTIR 成像估计为 2.0–789 µg/m，Py-GC-MS 估计为 8.5–754 µg/m。两种分析技术的结果在 MP 丰度的总体趋势方面显示出良好的可比性，并且由于方法间固有的差异而导致聚合物组成的变化。与郊区相比，市中心的 MP 浓度有所升高。此外，在人类活动频繁的地点，MP 丰度存在季节性差异。