Widespread and growing use of plastics with irresponsible disposal generate large amounts of its debris worldwide. The polymers are more prone to break into smaller particles than to decompose. Particles smaller than 5 mm are named microplastics (MP) and are today recognised as modern pollutants. In addition to various negative effects on organisms, MP can release its additives and act as vector by adsorbing pollutants. The interaction depends on several parameters and represents an interesting area of research on the impact of these pollutants on the environment.
The aim of my research was to develop analytical methods for the detection of selected pollutants and their photodegradation products formed upon adsorption on microplastics. Experiments were performed on model systems of phthalates (dimethyl, diethyl, and dibutyl phthalate), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene) and bisphenols (A and S). Firstly, GC-MS method was developed, but due to the non-volatility of bisphenols, HPLC-DAD and LC-MS/MS methods were added. The linearity of methods was tested and validated in the concentration range 3-15 mg/L, where the pollutants in the model samples were expected to be. Photodegradation experiments were carried out at the Marine Biology Station Piran. The final samples intended for further analysis and identification of photoproducts were aqueous solutions of compounds already desorbed from the microplastics. For additional preconcentration, I tested several variations of liquid-liquid and solid phase extractions. The latter, by using LC-8 cartridges, proved to be the best for sample preparation and analysis of degradation products.
Developed methods were applied to model samples after photodegradation od dibutyl phthalate, bisphenol A, naphthalene, and acenaphthene. Using LC-MS/MS, I identified most of the resulting degradation products of the first three analytes, while no degradation product peaks were detected in the chromatograms of the acenaphthene sample.
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