Standardizing environmental microplastics measurement for compliance monitoring: A case study of the California program
Increasing interest in microplastics in the environment has resulted in how microplastics may be regulated in this arena. These initiatives may occur at various levels and by various organizations, from international (e.g., European Chemical Agency, ISO documents) to national and subnational (e.g., federal and state efforts in the U.S.). They all require standardization of monitoring methods.
This presentation will provide an overview of the state of standardization, and challenges thereof, for microplastics measurement in the aquatic environment, from collection to extraction to quantification (e.g., by spectroscopic analysis). Particular emphasis is placed on efforts within the State of California, which is the first jurisdiction to require monitoring for microplastics.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Progress towards standardized methods and testing requirements
- What progress has been made in the development of standardized methodologies for microplastics in North America?
- What are some of the key challenges that remain in the implementation of these?
- How might these developments impact other areas and the potential for the implementation of regulations?
Who Should Attend:
- Microplastics researchers
- Microplastics analysts from commercial, QA, or research labs seeking to understand key challenges in Microplastics analysis. Those interested in the contamination of wastewater, seawater, freshwater, air, sediments, and food (such as fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and bottled water)
Presenter: Charles Wong (Department Head, Chemistry, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority)
Presenter: Ann Thayer (Contributing Editor, C&EN Media Group)