Microplastic Rapid Screening Method Development Using Automated Mineralogy

This study is concerned with testing the application of Automated Mineralogy (AM), specifically QEMSCAN, to identify and quantify microplastic particles within a solid heterogeneous specimen, as an initial assessment of how this technique may be utilised in microplastic research and environmental monitoring. It utilises a novel sample preparation method and makes significant alterations to standard QEMSCAN operating parameters to analyse model samples of known composition. This paper outlines initial results and highlights the key challenges in applying QEMSCAN to this area, suggesting potential solutions for future development of the technique.