Collecting and analyzing nanoplastics with small bubbles.

Associate Professor (Interface chemistry)

FUJII Sho

Microplastics (MPs), which are present in our environment, can be ingested by organisms, potentially affecting the food chain and eventually posing risks to human health. In particular, nanoplastics (NPs) are smaller than MPs, and their behavior in the environment and impact on the organisms are not fully understood.

Nanoplastics are present in extremely small amounts, making it challenging to analyze their chemical properties. We therefore have developed a new methodology that eﬃciently collects NPs using "small bubbles" and allows for the analysis of their nanoscale local chemical properties provided by Atomic Force Microscope-Infrared Spectroscopy (AFM-IR). Speciﬁcally, by creating small bubbles in water using a laser, NPs gather around these bubbles and become concentrated. This method demonstrated collecting trace amounts of NPs in water and analyzing their chemical properties at the nanoscale.

This technology provides deep insights into NPs in the environment and progress in future researches.