Researchers at the University of British Columbia say they have developed a portable device that can cost-effectively detect the amount of microplastics in drinks and other liquids.
Tianxi Yang, the developer of the tool, explains in a UBC press release that microplastics pose a “significant threat” to food safety, health and the environment and that cost-effective detection of the material could help reduce the danger.
Microplastic particles can be created when things like plastic cups or utensils break down and the material is released into food or drinks, which can then be absorbed by the body. The plastics pose a risk to human health because they can absorb toxins and break through barriers in the body. Their long-term effects are still being studied.
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The device developed by Yang’s teams uses a wireless digital microscope, green LED light and a so-called “excitation filter” to test liquid samples smaller than a drop by making all the microplastic particles glow.
In a study published this month in the journal ACS Sensors, the device was tested for 30 minutes using boiled distilled water filled into disposable polystyrene cups.
The tests showed that the cups released hundreds of millions of polystyrene particles into the water. Each of these particles is about one hundredth the width of a human hair or smaller.
Yang, an assistant professor in the School of Land and Food Systems, says each test costs about 1.5 cents.
The UBC press release states that the device is currently calibrated to detect polystyrene, but can also measure other types of plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
It says the results are easy to understand, “whether for a technician in a food processing lab or simply someone curious about their morning cup of coffee,” and researchers hope to commercialize the device to analyze plastic particles in “real-world applications.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 27, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
