Single-Particle Microplastics Analysis via Laser-Assisted MicroPyrolysis Flowing Atmospheric-Pressure Afterglow Mass Spectrometry Imaging.
- 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas79409, United States.
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. Thus, novel MP characterization techniques are in urgent demand to achieve the necessary environmental monitoring, as well as studying the impact of MPs on human health. Herein, laser-assisted micropyrolysis flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow high-resolution mass spectrometry (LAMP FAPA MS) is developed toward direct imaging of single-particle MPs collected on filters. The use of a CO2 laser (10.6 μm) is shown to yield up to >100× higher signal intensity for polyethylene terephthalate fragment ions compared to a diode laser (405 nm) at the same power. Also, a mass spectral analysis algorithm was developed and implemented for fast polymer identification in MPs based on the corresponding fragment ion series separated by the repeating base unit. Furthermore, additive identification is shown for single-particle MPs. Finally, LAMP FAPA MS is demonstrated for quantitative analysis of polymer mass with a detection limit of 0.083 ng for polyethylene microspheres, which corresponds to a spherical particle with a 5.4 μm diameter.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026singleparticle,
title = {{Single-Particle Microplastics Analysis via Laser-Assisted MicroPyrolysis Flowing Atmospheric-Pressure Afterglow Mass Spectrometry Imaging.}},
author = {Dong Zhang and Ejoke Akatugba and Gerardo Gamez},
journal = {Analytical chemistry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acs.analchem.6c02632},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916139},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Single-Particle Microplastics Analysis via Laser-Assisted MicroPyrolysis Flowing Atmospheric-Pressure Afterglow Mass Spectrometry Imaging.
AU - Dong Zhang
AU - Ejoke Akatugba
AU - Gerardo Gamez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Analytical chemistry
DO - 10.1021/acs.analchem.6c02632
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916139
AB - Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as ubiquitous contaminants in the environment. Thus, novel MP characterization techniques are in urgent demand to achieve the necessary environmental monitoring, as well as studying the impact of MPs on human health. Herein, laser-assisted micropyrolysis flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow high-resolution mass spectrometry (LAMP FAPA MS) is developed toward direct imaging of single-particle MPs collected on filters. The use of a CO2 laser (10.6 μm) is shown to yield up to >100× higher signal intensity for polyethylene terephthalate fragment ions compared to a diode laser (405 nm) at the same power. Also, a mass spectral analysis algorithm was developed and implemented for fast polymer identification in MPs based on the corresponding fragment ion series separated by the repeating base unit. Furthermore, additive identification is shown for single-particle MPs. Finally, LAMP FAPA MS is demonstrated for quantitative analysis of polymer mass with a detection limit of 0.083 ng for polyethylene microspheres, which corresponds to a spherical particle with a 5.4 μm diameter.
SN - 0003-2700
SN - 1520-6882
ER -