Title:Extraction and Analysis of Microplastic Beads from Personal Care Products
Volume: 19
Issue: 2
Author(s): Pinal S. Bhavsar and Anil H. Gore*
Affiliation:
- Tarsadia Institute of Chemical Science, Uka Tarsadia University, Bardoli 394350, Gujarat, India
Keywords:
Microplastic, microbeads, personal care products, extraction, FT-IR, stereo microscope.
Abstract:
Background: Nowadays, plastic accumulation in marine has become one of the topics of global
concern, with emerging research efforts focusing on the threat of microbeads (<5mm). A source of microplastic
pollution is derived from personal care products (facial cleanser) that contain polyethylene
microplastic (microbeads), which are not captured by the wastewater treatment plant. These small particles
are especially concerning because of their potential to translocate in the bodies of organisms.
Methods: Herein, we have used a mixture of hydrogen peroxide with nitric acid to dissolve the organic
matter before the filtration and filtration was carried out by using Whatman filter paper 42 to ascertain
that all the microbeads had been collected. Collected microbeads were identified using Fouriertransformed
infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and stereo microscope.
Results: In this study, we have observed that personal care products contain microplastic beads, and that
three out of six personal care products contain a polyethylene (PE) bead.
Conclusion: We have provided a feasible separation and analysis method for microplastic beads in personal
care products.