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Inexpensive Adaptations of Basic Microscopes for the Identification of Microplastic Contamination Using Polarization and Nile Red Fluorescence Detection

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Title: Inexpensive Adaptations of Basic Microscopes for the Identification of Microplastic Contamination Using Polarization and Nile Red Fluorescence Detection
Language: English
Authors: Labbe, Amelia B., Bagshaw, Clive R. (ORCID 0000-0002-5396-153X), Uttal, Lisa
Source: Journal of Chemical Education. Nov 2020 97(11):4026-4032.
Availability: Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 7
Publication Date: 2020
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Science Instruction, College Science, Undergraduate Study, Chemistry, Interdisciplinary Approach, Hands on Science, Spectroscopy, Plastics, Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Science Laboratories, Pollution
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00518
ISSN: 0021-9584
Abstract: Microplastic contamination of the environment is a major concern but detecting such contamination presents a challenge, particularly for particles <0.1 mm in size. Community scientists and students who participated in a plankton monitoring program and routinely examined samples of seawater using brightfield microscopy, often found fragments and filaments that were likely of anthropogenic origin. While in some cases this was clear from their structure and color, the origin of many particles remained questionable. To address this problem, optical components were added to microscopes for polarization and fluorescence detection. Plastics often show birefringence under crossed-polarizers due to alignment of the polymer chains within. They also bind Nile Red dye to give green, yellow, or red fluorescence emission, depending on the hydrophobicity of the polymer. Fluorescence excitation was achieved using a focused blue LED flashlight mounted externally to a microscope and emission was detected through a yellow plexiglass or gel filter. The required optical components cost a few tens of dollars and can be applied to any stereo (dissecting) microscope and most compound microscopes. These modifications were tested by community college students who set up their own microscopes and reported the presence of microplastics in the majority of their plankton samples. The equipment was also used at outreach events, where the observation of glowing microplastic particles suspended in natural water samples made an immediate impression with the public and demonstrated the magnitude of the environmental problem.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2020
Accession Number: EJ1276365
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Microplastic contamination of the environment is a major concern but detecting such contamination presents a challenge, particularly for particles &lt;0.1 mm in size. Community scientists and students who participated in a plankton monitoring program and routinely examined samples of seawater using brightfield microscopy, often found fragments and filaments that were likely of anthropogenic origin. While in some cases this was clear from their structure and color, the origin of many particles remained questionable. To address this problem, optical components were added to microscopes for polarization and fluorescence detection. Plastics often show birefringence under crossed-polarizers due to alignment of the polymer chains within. They also bind Nile Red dye to give green, yellow, or red fluorescence emission, depending on the hydrophobicity of the polymer. Fluorescence excitation was achieved using a focused blue LED flashlight mounted externally to a microscope and emission was detected through a yellow plexiglass or gel filter. The required optical components cost a few tens of dollars and can be applied to any stereo (dissecting) microscope and most compound microscopes. These modifications were tested by community college students who set up their own microscopes and reported the presence of microplastics in the majority of their plankton samples. The equipment was also used at outreach events, where the observation of glowing microplastic particles suspended in natural water samples made an immediate impression with the public and demonstrated the magnitude of the environmental problem.
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