In recent years, microplastic (MP) pollution has garnered significant attention owing to its ability to permeate various ecosystems, including soil. These particles can infiltrate the environment, either directly or through the degradation of larger plastic items. Despite growing concerns, standardized methods for quantification are still lacking. This study aimed to screen for the presence of MPs in agricultural soils while incorporating green analytical principles in the methodology. A density separation followed by centrifugation was employed, based on the principles of the QuEChERS extraction method. This approach minimized sample quantities, reagent consumption, and waste production, ensuring efficient extraction and analysis. Recovery tests using certified soils spiked with pristine MPs, specifically polystyrene, polypropylene (PP), and ethylene-vinyl acetate for larger MPs (3-5 mm), and low-density polyethylene, polyamide 6, and tire wear particles for smaller MPs (15-300 μm),achieved recovery levels exceeding 69% for smaller MPs and over 91% for larger particles. Spectroscopic analysis revealed slight alterations in the Raman spectra of MPs after extraction. Transitioning to agricultural soil analysis has revealed challenges, including spectral interferences. Nine mesoplastics (plastic items 5-20 mm) were detected, predominantly consisting of PP and PE, along with seven MPs, three of which were individually identified as PE-based, while the remainder were inconclusive, including one fiber. The evaluation of the method's sustainability using the Analytical Eco-Scale and Analytical Greenness Calculator Metric (AGREE), with scores of 82 out of 100 and 0.66 out of 1, demonstrated its potential as a liable approach to MP analysis in soils. This study highlights the potential of integrating green analytical chemistry principles into MP extraction methodologies and emphasizes the value of the proposed QuEChERs-based approach for improving the sustainability and efficiency of MP monitoring in agricultural soils.

中文翻译：

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农业土壤中的微塑料筛查：在提取和分析中应用绿色化学原理


近年来，微塑料 （MP） 污染因其能够渗透到包括土壤在内的各种生态系统中而受到广泛关注。这些颗粒可以直接或通过降解较大的塑料物品渗入环境。尽管人们越来越担心，但仍然缺乏标准化的定量方法。本研究旨在筛选农业土壤中 MP 的存在，同时在方法中纳入绿色分析原则。根据 QuEChERS 萃取方法的原理，采用密度分离后离心。这种方法最大限度地减少了样品量、试剂消耗和废物产生，确保了高效的提取和分析。使用加标原始 MP 的认证土壤进行回收测试，特别是对于较大的 MP（3-5 mm）使用聚苯乙烯、聚丙烯 （PP） 和乙烯-醋酸乙烯酯，对于较小的 MP（15-300 μm），使用低密度聚乙烯、聚酰胺 6 和轮胎磨损颗粒（对于较小的 MP），达到超过 69% 的较小 MP 的回收水平和超过 91% 的较大颗粒的回收水平。光谱分析显示，提取后 MP 的拉曼光谱略有变化。过渡到农业土壤分析揭示了挑战，包括光谱干扰。检测到 9 种中塑物（5-20 毫米的塑料物品），主要由 PP 和 PE 组成，以及 7 种 MP，其中 3 种被单独鉴定为基于 PE，而其余的尚无定论，包括 1 根纤维。使用分析生态尺度和分析绿色度计算器指标 （AGREE） 评估该方法的可持续性，得分为 82 分（满分 100 分）和 0.66 分（满分 1 分），证明了它作为土壤中 MP 分析的可靠方法的潜力。 本研究强调了将绿色分析化学原理整合到 MP 提取方法中的潜力，并强调了拟议的基于 QuEChER 的方法对于提高农业土壤中 MP 监测的可持续性和效率的价值。