Comparative analysis of microplastic measurement units: Concatenating items/m³, particles/kg, and mg/kg

Abstract

Plastics are the most utilized material in every commercial or domestic sector. The extensive use of plastics can lead to the generation of byproducts, and microplastics are among them. The introduction and integration of microplastics into the environment have severe effects on both living and non-living entities. Moreover, extracting and removing microplastics from the environment presents significant challenges. In this context, recognizing quantity-wise removal becomes a major task. Until now, a universally established method for quantitative measurement has not been established. Various units, such as items/m³, particles/kg, and mg/kg, have been utilized based on their suitability. However, these units come with their own merits and demerits. To address this, the article focuses on filling the gaps in the utilization and generalization of units for further studies. Using the mg/kg unit for measuring microplastics in collected samples can be an appropriate method for analysing the quantity of microplastics.