Abstract:
Microplastics (MPs) contamination in marine waters has recently become a serious
environmental concern. Hence, the identification of various types of MPs in marine waters is
essential to control the MPs contamination in marine water. Several analytical methods have
been adopted for the identification of MPs in marine waters and spectroscopic analyses are the
most popular method adopted. In this study, a comprehensive review was carried out using
published literature during 2010-2022 related to the identification of MPs in marine waters
globally using spectroscopic methods. The present study is aimed at (1) identifying the most
suitable spectroscopic method currently available to identify the MPs in marine waters, and (2)
determining the most abundant type of MPs identified using the spectroscopic methods
globally. About 65% of the reviewed studies (n=84) have adopted spectroscopic methods
associated with the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and among them, 45% used the
Attenuated Total Reflection FTIR (ATR-FTIR) method for the MPs identification in marine
waters. By using the data available and comparing different aspects of the testing procedures
of the reviewed studies (n=84) [cost of analysis, sensitivity, availability of the facilities], the
ATR-FTIR method was found as the most suitable spectroscopic method to identify MPs in
marine waters globally. Based on the data available from reviewed studies (n=31),
Polyethylene (PE) (combined with LDPE and HDPE) was found as the most abundant type of
MPs identified using spectroscopic methods globally. In conclusion, the present review
provides insight into the applicability of the ATR-FTIR method for MPs identification in
marine waters and the abundance of various types of MPs detected using spectroscopic
methods.
