20.500.12556/RUL-155467 Oil-based extraction as an efficient method for the quantification of microplastics in environmental samples Background Wastewater treatment plant outlets are a major source of microplastics, with more than 90% retained in sewage sludge. No standardised method for the extraction, quantification, and characterisation of microplastics in sewage sludge or soil exists, and direct comparison of studies is often impossible. Our aim was to validate oil extraction efficiency with and without pre-treatment with Fenton’s reagent of selected microplastics in various types of environmental samples (sewage sludge and organic-rich substrates). Results Oxidation with Fenton’s reagent removed up to 90% of organic material, which improves the recovery rate and made quantification and characterisation easier and more reliable, regardless of type, shape, size, or density of the selected microplastic particles used in this study. Pre-treatment, as a pre-step of the oil extraction method, was shown to be important in reducing organic matter in all environmental samples, including sewage sludge and organic-rich substrates. It also improved the reliability of the selected method, shortened its duration, and, by reducing organic matter, made extracted microplastics more visible. The recovery rate was better for particles 1–5 mm and lower for particles 0.1 < 1 mm. Conclusions By achieving up to a 100% recovery rate for certain types of microplastics (polypropylene and polystyrene), the selected method proved to be a promising extraction method. It was also shown to be efficient in the organic-rich substrates, for which the characterisation of microplastic particles was done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The most commonly detected types of microplastics in organic-rich substrates were polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyester. characterisation of microplastics oil extraction quantification sewage sludge organic-rich substrate karakterizacija mikroplastike ekstrakcija olja kvantifikacija blato iz čistilnih naprav organsko bogat substrat true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2024-04-03 14:32:21 2024-04-03 14:32:22 2024-12-04 11:59:36 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2024 0 0 14 str. art. 68 Vol. 36 2024 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno apc 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 502/504 2190-4715 10.1186/s12302-024-00898-6 191281923 s12302-024-00898-6.pdf s12302-024-00898-6.pdf 1 2D26B867F57A67F5BEE2B85ECBF58920 03a46649995fae834a3043f21071deb4b17558765fd22f7df5968b0829b0bcc8 7e4746e6-f1b6-11ee-853b-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=182371 https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-024-00898-6 1 3772e80d-f1b6-11ee-853b-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=182370 Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo Zdravstvena fakulteta Fakulteta za gradbeništvo in geodezijo 0 0 0