You would like to carry out an analysis of microplastics in water according to the ISO 16094-2 and 3
What does ISO 16094- 2 and 3 say?
ISO 16094-2 and ISO 16094-3 provide standardised methods for the analysis of microplastics in water, particularly in waters with a low suspended solids content, including drinking water.
ISO 16094-2: This part specifies a method for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of microparticles of plastics or elastomeric materials in water using microscopy techniques coupled with vibrational spectroscopy, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. It can be used to determine particle size (from 1 µm to 5,000 µm), identify the types of polymers present (e.g. PE, PP, PET, PS, PVC) and characterise the particle size distribution of microplastics.
ISO 16094-3: This part describes thermo-analytical methods for the analysis of microplastics in water, including the use of techniques such as pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) and thermal desorption (TED-GC-MS). These methods can be used to determine the total mass of microplastics and identify the types of polymer present in the sample. However, they do not provide information on the size, shape or number of particles.
These standards aim to harmonise procedures for analysing microplastics in water, thereby guaranteeing reliable and comparable results between different laboratories and studies.
Why carry out analysis in accordance with ISO 16094-2 and 3?
Carrying out analysis in accordance with ISO 16094-2 and ISO 16094-3 standards offers a number of advantages for manufacturers, researchers and regulatory bodies. These analysis are essential to guarantee reliable, harmonised data on the presence of microplastics in water. Here are the main reasons for carrying them out:
Regulatory and legal compliance
ISO standards are internationally recognised and adopted as references in many environmental and industrial regulations. Analysis in compliance with ISO 16094-2 and 3 standards enables you to meet :
- Legal requirements: compliance with national and international water quality regulations.
- Environmental standards: inclusion in environmental compliance frameworks relating to microplastics.
Reliable and comparable data
Adopting ISO standards guarantees a standardised methodology. This means :
- Reproducible and comparable results: between laboratories and studies, which is essential for research projects or regulatory reports.
- Greater reliability: the standards guarantee optimum precision in the identification, characterization and quantification of microplastics.
Protecting human health and the environment
Microplastics are a threat to aquatic biodiversity and human health. Analysing water in accordance with these standards makes it possible to :
- Quantify microplastics in drinking water: protecting consumer health.
- Identify sources of pollution: enabling corrective action to be taken to reduce their environmental impact.
Supporting research and innovation
Analysis to ISO 16094-2 and 3 supports scientific and technological advances in microplastics management:
- Development of innovative solutions: For example, to reduce microplastic emissions.
- Monitoring research projects: Using data to model environmental impacts or design more sustainable products.
The FILAB laboratory carries out analysis of microplastics in water in accordance with the ISO 16094-2 and 3 standard.
Why choose FILAB for your ISO 16094-2 and 3 analysis?
At FILAB, we offer a complete, customised solution for carrying out your analysis and detection of microplastics in water, in accordance with ISO 16094-2 and 3.
Our analysis steps include :
Our technical resources for analysis to ISO 16094-2 and 3 standards
ISO 16094-2 and ISO 16094-3 describe specific analytical techniques for the analysis of microplastics in water. Here is an overview of the approaches defined by these two standards that we carry out at the FILAB laboratory.
ISO 16094-2: Vibrational spectroscopy techniques
This standard covers the analysis of microplastics in waters with a low suspended solids content, such as drinking water. It focuses on vibrational spectroscopy methods for accurate identification of microplastics, including:
- Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy:
- Enables the identification of polymer types by analysing their spectral signatures.
- Used in combination with microscopy (μFTIR) to detect and identify particles down to 10 µm.
- Raman spectroscopy:
- Complementary to FTIR for identifying polymers that are difficult to analyse using infrared techniques.
- Effective for very small particles (up to 1 µm).
These techniques can also be used to assess the size, shape and distribution of particles in a sample.
ISO 16094-3: Thermo-analytical techniques
This standard is suitable for water with a higher suspended solids content, such as wastewater or surface water. It describes techniques for quantifying the total mass of microplastics and identifying their chemical composition:
- Pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS):
- Breaks down polymers into volatile fragments using pyrolysis.
- Identifies and quantifies polymer types based on their characteristic fragments.
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS):
- Technique used for rapid analysis without a complete pyrolysis step.
- Used to detect additives or monomers bound to polymers.
These thermo-analytical techniques are particularly suitable for complex samples, although they do not provide information on particle size or shape.
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