Nanoplastic Labelling with Metal Probes: Analytical Strategies for Their Sensitive Detection and Quantification by ICP Mass Spectrometry.

The detection and quantification of nanoplastics in aquatic environments is one of the major challenges in environmental and analytical research nowadays. The use of common analytical techniques for this purpose is not only hampered by the size of nanoplastics, but also because they are mainly made of carbon. In addition, the expected concentrations in environmental samples are below the detection limit of the majority of analytical techniques.

A Novel Strategy for the Detection and Quantification of Nanoplastics by Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

A method for the detection and quantification of nanoplastics (NPTs) at environmentally relevant concentrations was developed. It is based on conjugating nanoplastics with functionalized metal (Au)-containing nanoparticles (NPs), thus making them detectable by highly sensitive inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operated in single particle (SP) mode. The selectivity of the method was achieved by the coupling of negatively charged carboxylate groups present at the surface of nanoplastics with a positively charged gelatin attached to the custom-synthesized AuNPs.