Practical new tool detects nanoplastics and microplastics in the environment

A team of McGill University researchers has developed a cost-effective, high-throughput technology for detecting nanoplastics and microplastics in the environment.

These particles are pervasive, posing health and environmental risks, yet detecting them at the nanoscale has been difficult. The 3D-printed HoLDI-MS test platform overcomes the limitations of traditional mass spectrometry by enabling direct analysis of samples without requiring complex sample preparation. The researchers say it also will work for detection of waterborne plastic particles. HoLDI-MS stands for hollow-laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

"With HoLDI, we provide a method that is effective, quantitative, highly accurate and affordable, making it accessible to researchers worldwide," said Chemistry Professor Parisa Ariya, who led the study published last month in Communications Chemistry. "It requires little energy, is recyclable and costs only a few dollars per sample."

The new method will also advance international cooperation in fighting plastic pollution, in alignment with calls by the United Nations Environment Program to improve methods, the researchers say.

"Until now, there have been no established universal protocols for nanoplastic detection within the complex environment," Ariya said.

"This technology allows us to pinpoint the major sources of nano and microplastics in the environment," she said. "More importantly, it enables data comparison and validation across laboratories worldwide, a crucial step toward harmonizing global research on plastic pollution."

As part of their study, the researchers identified polyethylene and polydimethylsiloxanes in indoor air, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in outdoor air.