Emerging use of thermal analysis in the assessment of micro(nano)plastics exposure

Abstract

Plastic contamination by micro(nano)plastics represents one of the main threats that ecosystems have to currently face. The impact of micro(nano)plastics on organisms and ecosystems is not fully understood neither in the field nor the laboratory because of the lack of analytical methods that allow to accurately detect and quantify the exposure. This is particularly true for small sized microplastics and nanoplastics, whose quali-quantification is troublesome. Different analytical techniques can be used to measure micro(nano)plastics levels in different matrices, but recently the application of thermal analysis emerged as a promising approach. This review highlights the importance and the advantages of thermal analyses to assess the exposure to micro(nano)plastics in ecotoxicological and toxicological studies.