Tackling the Big Problem of Tiny Particles

Making microplastic testing commercially available

Plastics are among the most ubiquitous materials in our lives. They gradually break down into microplastics that persist for centuries and contaminate soil, water, and air. Unlike larger plastic debris, microplastics are invisible to the naked eye and difficult to remove, making them one of the most persistent environmental challenges of our time. Recognising the major global environmental problem that microplastics present, the Eurofins network is at the forefront of providing testing solutions to identify their prevalence in our environment.

Microplastics are defined as solid plastic particles, insoluble in water and measuring between 1 µm and 5,000 µm. Polluting our environment every day, these particles may contain or carry hazardous chemicals that have a negative impact on wildlife and human health. For this reason, unintentionally ingesting microplastics through water, food, and air poses a particular concern. In 2019, the World Health Organization reviewed the state of evidence on microplastics and published a report assessing the risks to human health.

Recognising both the scale of the problem and the urgent need for reliable data, the Eurofins network has pioneered and currently operates a leading global network of seven microplastic testing laboratories, utilising state-of-the art instrumentation. This includes equipment for both spectroscopic techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, laser direct infrared imaging (LDIR), and Raman spectroscopy, and thermal analysis techniques, including pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS) and thermal-desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS).

Since 2018, a Eurofins Environment Testing laboratory in Bergen, Norway has been at the forefront of developing testing methods for the analysis of microplastics in various liquid matrices, wastewater, sediments, and soil, fish and dry matter, using pyrolysis-GC/MS. These methods allow for the detection of rubber particles such as tyre wear debris, a key source of microplastic pollution in urban environments. In 2023, the Eurofins Environment Testing laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, became one of the first commercial laboratories to receive ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for LDIR analysis, which further strengthened its status as a reference for this field of testing.

Over the years, the Eurofins network’s microplastic testing capabilities have continued to expand, with the addition of new laboratories and methodologies. For instance, the Environment Testing laboratory in Sacramento, USA has added Raman spectroscopy to its service offering, enabling the detection of microplastic particles as small as 1 µm and enhancing the analysis of breathable air fractions. Additionally, Eurofins Textile and Footwear Spain was the first laboratory to develop a quantitative method for measuring microfibre shedding from textiles during washing.

Over the course of 2024-2025, Eurofins Environment Testing laboratories from several countries were involved in international research to measure airborne microplastic particles. The PlasticDustCloud project, a global study led by the Eurofins Environment Testing network, revealed alarming microplastic pollution in air, with deposition rates of up to 1,300 microplastics per square metre per day (MPs/m2/day). Working with samples collected across 12 sites in nine countries on three continents, this global study highlighted the pervasive presence of microplastics in the air we breathe every day. Eurofins laboratories continue to undertake ongoing research to better understand the prevalence of microplastics in our ecosystems and the threat they pose to our environment.

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