A simple flotation technique using distilled water effectively extracts microplastics from soil samples, while a novel acetone-based method allows for efficient extraction from water samples, providing cost-effective alternatives to complex microplastic extraction procedures.

Dear, Ddelhak

do you have any paper about it?

Thanks for your help!

Hi!

Here are some good articles which I recently found. I hope it helps!

• Density Separation: This method uses a high-density solution, such as zinc chloride (ZnCl2) or sodium iodide (NaI), to separate microplastics based on their density differences. This method is particularly effective for separating microplastics from soils with varying organic content. Han, X., Lu, X., Vogt, R. Optimized approach for extracting microplastics from soil and sediment samples. Environmental Pollution, 2019, 254 Pt A, 113009.
• Floatation and Filtration: A combination of floatation using distilled water and subsequent filtration is effective for extracting light-density microplastics like polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). This method has demonstrated recovery rates of over 80% for microplastics in soil samples. Zhang, S., Yang, X., Gertsen, H., Peters, P., Salánki, T., Geissen, V. A simple method for the extraction and identification of light density microplastics from soil. The Science of the Total Environment, 2018, 616-617, 1056-1065.
• Chemical Digestion: Chemical digestion using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is often employed for samples with high organic content to remove organic matter that could interfere with microplastic separation and identification. Li, Q., Wu, J., Zhao, X., Gu, X., Ji, R. Separation and identification of microplastics from soil and sewage sludge. Environmental Pollution, 2019, 254 Pt B, 113076.
• Oil-Based Extraction:Olive oil-based extraction exploits the oleophilic properties of plastics and is effective across a range of polymer densities. This method has shown high recovery rates in soil samples. Scopetani, C., Chelazzi, D., Mikola, J., Leiniö, V., Heikkinen, R., Cincinelli, A., Pellinen, J. Olive oil-based method for the extraction, quantification, and identification of microplastics in soil and compost samples. The Science of the Total Environment, 2020, 733, 139338.
• High-Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS): This novel approach involves tagging microplastics with magnetic particles, allowing them to be separated from soil using a magnetic field. The method has shown high recovery rates for both low- and high-density microplastics. Ramage, S., Pagaling, E., Haghi, R., Dawson, L., Yates, K., Prabhu, R., Hillier, S., Devalla, S. Rapid extraction of high- and low-density microplastics from soil using high-gradient magnetic separation. The Science of the Total Environment, 2022, 154912.

Elena, thanks a lot!

Going to review those articles.

Juan