Fenton's Reagent for Isolating Microplastics from Wastewater

What is it about?

Fenton's reagent (hydrogen peroxide with iron as a catalyst) is shown to be ideal for isolating microscopic plastic particles from wastewater. The reagent has little to no impact on the surface chemistry and size of several polymer types, providing a rapid and low-cost method for preparing samples for further analysis (e.g. identification and quantification by infrared spectral imaging).

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Why is it important?

Previously published methods for preparing microplastics for analysis are often time-consuming and complex. Using Fenton's reagent results in a significant reduction in sample preparation times (minutes instead of days or hours). The method is also very simple to use and is subject to minimal analytical bias.