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Chemical Analysis of Organic Contaminants and Microplastics

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 154

Special Issue Editors


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Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: analytical chemistry; nanoplastics; microplastics; bioremediation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves into the critical area of chemical analysis for organic contaminants and microplastics. It brings together cutting-edge research from leading experts, showcasing innovative methodologies, advanced techniques, and new insights to address the growing global concern over these ubiquitous pollutants.

The issue will cover a wide range of topics, including the following:

  1. High-resolution characterization techniques: exploring advanced microscopy (e.g., Raman, FTIR, SEM-EDX), spectroscopy/spectrometry (e.g., Py-GC-MS, NMR), and imaging techniques for detailed chemical and morphological analysis of microplastics.
  2. Development of sensitive and selective analytical methods: focusing on the development and optimization of methods for the extraction, separation, and quantification of microplastics from diverse environmental and food matrices (e.g., water, soil, biota) while minimizing sample loss and contamination.
  3. Investigation of microplastic interactions: examining the sorption and desorption of organic contaminants onto microplastics, their potential for facilitating the transport and bioaccumulation of these contaminants, and the associated ecological and human health risks.
  4. Life cycle assessment of microplastics: addressing the environmental impacts of microplastic production, use, and disposal, including their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.
  5. Development of innovative mitigation strategies: exploring and evaluating technologies for microplastic removal from the environment, such as advanced filtration systems, bioremediation techniques, and innovative waste management practises.

This Special Issue provides a valuable platform for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to share their latest findings, discuss emerging challenges, and collaborate towards effective solutions for the microplastics pollution crisis.

Dr. João Pinto da Costa
Dr. Teresa A. P. Rocha-Santos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environment and food
  • instrumentation
  • plastic–organic contaminants interactions
  • life-cycle assessment
  • (eco)toxicity

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2785 KiB  
Article
Discrepancies in Mineral Oil Confirmation by Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry: A Call for Harmonization
by José Fernando Huertas-Pérez, Cristina Cruz-Hernández, Antonio Núñez-Galindo, Mathieu Dubois, Loïc Perring, Adrienne Tarres, Julie Nicolay, Céline Vocat and Thierry Delatour
Molecules 2025, 30(13), 2830; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30132830 - 1 Jul 2025
Abstract
Three different vegetable oils, namely coconut oil, palm olein and olive oil, were analyzed for mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs) in our laboratory and in five commercial laboratories well recognized for their expertise in this field. The analysis consisted of a preliminary quantitative estimation [...] Read more.
Three different vegetable oils, namely coconut oil, palm olein and olive oil, were analyzed for mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs) in our laboratory and in five commercial laboratories well recognized for their expertise in this field. The analysis consisted of a preliminary quantitative estimation of MOH content by hyphenated liquid chromatography–gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (LC-GC-FID), followed by a confirmatory analysis of MOH components by two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-ToF). The results provided by the six laboratories were compared to check their consistency, which would have led to a hypothetical commercial agreement or dispute scenarios, for instance. The comparison was based merely on information provided by the laboratories in their analytical reports (i.e., the methodology was not challenged, and chromatograms were not reviewed). Additionally, some of the laboratories were willing to provide some more information or details of the analysis. Similar quantitative results were provided by all six laboratories, emphasizing the utility of the current available harmonized guidelines and official standards for this method. However, as regards confirmatory results, discrepancies were observed among some laboratories in terms of the detection of MOH markers at low levels and the interpretation of GCxGC-ToF information. Even taking into account the limitation of this study as regards the reduced number of laboratories included, it highlights the need for harmonizing the GCxGC-ToF confirmatory method for MOHs in order to increase the alignment of results between laboratories for this kind of analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Analysis of Organic Contaminants and Microplastics)
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