The RDI service dedicated to the assessment of microplastic content provides the identification, quantification and characterisation of microplastic particles in environmental, food, agricultural and cosmetic samples. The service supports the detection of microplastics in water, including drinking water, waste water, surface water and groundwater, as well as in soil, sediments and plant samples.
The service is also applicable to food and cosmetic products, including milk and dairy products, beverages, salt, honey, tea, soaps, creams, lotions, gels, toothpastes and other consumer goods. Through spectroscopic and microscopic analyses, the service makes it possible to evaluate microplastic contamination, characterise particle morphology and identify polymer types, providing information relevant to safety assessment, quality control and the monitoring of compliance with regulatory requirements.
The potential beneficiaries include companies, laboratories, research institutions and public authorities active in fields such as environmental protection, the food industry, agriculture, cosmetics and related areas. The service can support contamination studies, product safety assessment, environmental monitoring and the development of preventive or corrective measures aimed at reducing microplastic pollution.
Delivering the service requires specialised equipment and resources, including a Vertex V80 spectrometer coupled with a Hyperion 2000 IR microscope, an optical microscope with an external light source, equipment for grinding and sieving the samples, liquid nitrogen, mineralisation reagents specific to the matrix, standard materials for calibration and method verification, as well as the auxiliary materials required for sample preparation and analysis.