Comprehensive Profiling of Microplastics Using Pyrolysis GC–MS for Environmental MonitoringAnalyzing Microplastics in the Environment
Oral Presentation
Prepared by J. Pachlhofer1, G. Riccardino2, M. Bergna2, D. Cavagnino2, D. Kutscher3, A. Fornadel1
1 - Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2130 Woodward St, Austin, Texas, 78701, United States
2 - Thermo Fisher Scientific, , , Milan, Italy
3 - Thermo Fisher Scientific, , Bremen, , Germany
Contact Information: [email protected]; 512-565-3887
ABSTRACT
Microplastics are an emerging environmental contaminant of growing regulatory and public concern, with documented presence in marine, freshwater, terrestrial ecosystems, and drinking water. Robust analytical methods are required to support environmental monitoring programs and assess the distribution and composition of plastic debris. Pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) is a powerful technique for polymer identification, enabling direct analysis of solid samples without extensive preparation.
This work demonstrates the application of single-shot Py-GC-MS for the identification and quantitation of twelve common polymer types relevant to environmental microplastic monitoring. A Multi-Shot Pyrolyzer was coupled to a Thermo Scientific TRACE™ 1610 GC and ISQ™ 7610 single quadrupole mass spectrometer. Polymers were thermally degraded under inert conditions, and characteristic pyrolyzates were separated by capillary GC and identified using full-scan EI mass spectrometry with spectral library matching. Quantitative performance was evaluated using calibration mixtures covering representative environmental concentration ranges.
The method showed strong linearity for all investigated polymers (R² ≥ 0.990), with average calibration factor %RSD below 10%. Method detection limits ranged from sub-microgram to low-microgram levels, and repeatability testing demonstrated absolute peak area %RSD values below 15%. The approach was successfully applied to plastic debris collected from a Mediterranean beach, allowing confident identification of dominant polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene, as well as trace components. In addition, unknown pyrolyzates were characterized using spectral comparison tools, enabling differentiation of fluorinated polymers such as PTFE-related materials.
These results demonstrate that Py-GC-MS provides a robust, versatile, and quantitative solution for microplastic characterization, supporting environmental monitoring efforts and regulatory decision-making related to plastic pollution.
