5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Biosolids are a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers but are a significant source of microplastics, often overlooked in regulations.

• 2

  Conventional monitoring focuses on visible debris over 2 mm, missing smaller microplastics that pose environmental risks.

• 3

  A new workflow using O-PTIR spectroscopy allows for reliable identification of microplastics down to 1 µm in biosolid samples.

• 4

  Effective sample preparation, including Fenton oxidation and cellulase digestion, is crucial for accurate microplastic characterization.

• 5

  The study introduces a faster counting method that reduces analysis time by half while maintaining accuracy in microplastic detection.