A simple method for detecting and quantifying microplastics utilizing fluorescent dyes - Safranine T, fluorescein isophosphate, Nile red based on thermal expansion and contraction property.

Microplastics (particle size <5 mm) are an emerging contaminant for aquatic environmental, which have attracted increasing attention in worldwide range. In this study, an improved fluorescent staining method for detection and quantification of microplastics was developed based on thermal expansion and contraction. This method is effective in detection of polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate plastic particles.

Preparation of Micro-Nano Material Composed of Oyster Shell/FeO Nanoparticles/Humic Acid and Its Application in Selective Removal of Hg(II).

Micro-nano composite material was prepared to adsorb Hg(II) ions via the co-precipitation method. Oyster shell (OS), FeO nanoparticles, and humic acid (HA) were used as the raw materials. The adhesion of nanoparticles to OS displayed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the appearance of the (311) plane of standard FeO derived from X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the transformation of pore sizes to 50 nm and 20 μm by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) jointly revealed the successful grafting of HA-functionalized FeO onto the oyster shell surface.