Researchers have developed a type of fluorescent dye that can detect microplastics in our food and water, providing a cost-effective solution for identifying environmental pollution.
According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, microplastics can persist in the environment and within humans for extended periods. As a result, "these microplastics pose a potential hazard to living organisms, leading to an increasing concern about the environmental impacts."
Scientists noted that a type of plastic called polyamide is one of the most common, as it's used in textiles, automotive parts, and packaging solutions. Production is expected to increase by 2027, and as a result, more microplastic waste will be produced. The researchers explained that polyamide can adhere to hazardous substances, such as pharmaceuticals, thereby increasing their toxicity.
Traditional methods of detecting microplastics, such as various forms of spectroscopy and spectrometry, are expensive and time-consuming, which led the team to seek alternative solutions. They settled on fluorescence microscopy combined with staining dyes to better detect small plastic particles in food and water. These techniques help advance research into the ecological impacts of microplastics.
The team used aggregation-promoted staining dye -- a material that becomes weak in solution but is highly fluorescent when it solidifies. As the energy is released through a radiative pathway, the excited state returns to the ground state, which increases fluorescence.
Such enhancements are particularly notable in aqueous environments, where proximity among AIE-active molecules leads to robust fluorescence responses," the researchers wrote. "AIE-active compounds are versatile, enhancing light emission in optoelectronics, increasing sensitivity in chemosensors, and providing strong fluorescence for precise bioimaging and diagnostics."
The team took advantage of these properties to develop an advanced staining dye called HMPC ((E)-N'-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide that binds to plastic. The dye was able to detect microplastics of various sizes and ages, and in seawater, soil, milk, and even zebrafish.
As research on this cutting-edge dye continues to advance, it has huge potential to help clean the planet of plastic and provide a low-cost method of detecting microplastics that otherwise would go unnoticed.
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