Abstract

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been extensively used in microplastic (MP) pollution research since 2004. The aim of this review is to discuss and highlight the recent advances in FTIR (spectroscopy and chemical imaging) techniques that are used to characterize various polymer types of MPs and to trace their fate and transport in different environmental matrices. More than 400 research papers dealing with FTIR techniques in MP pollution research, which are published between January 2010 and December 2019, have been identified from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The MPs present in sediment, water (marine and freshwater), biota, air/dust, waste water treatment plants and salt are further classified according to (1) characterization and identification, (2) weathering and aging, (3) ecotoxicology, and (4) analytical methods. The results revealed that the ATR-FTIR technique is mostly used to identify and characterize the MPs found in water and sediment. The µFTIR (FTIR imaging) is extensively used to study the ingestion of MPs in biota (both marine and freshwater). In this article, we have summarized the current knowledge of application of FTIR spectroscopy to MP research and provided insights to future challenges for understanding the risk of MPs.

摘要

自 2004 年以来，傅里叶变换红外 (FTIR) 光谱已广泛用于微塑料 (MP) 污染研究。 本综述的目的是讨论和强调用于表征各种聚合物的 FTIR（光谱和化学成像）技术的最新进展。 MPs 的类型，并追踪它们在不同环境基质中的命运和运输。2010 年 1 月至 2019 年 12 月期间发表的 400 多篇涉及 MP 污染研究中的 FTIR 技术的研究论文已从 Scopus 和 Web of Science 数据库中确定。存在于沉积物、水（海洋和淡水）、生物群、空气/灰尘、废水处理厂和盐中的 MP 根据 (1) 表征和鉴定、(2) 风化和老化、(3) 生态毒理学、(4) 分析方法。结果表明，ATR-FTIR 技术主要用于识别和表征在水和沉积物中发现的 MP。µFTIR（FTIR 成像）广泛用于研究生物群（海洋和淡水）中 MP 的摄入。在本文中，我们总结了当前将 FTIR 光谱应用于 MP 研究的知识，并为理解 MP 风险的未来挑战提供了见解。