US 11,933,740 B2
Method for the detection and quantification of nano or micro plastic particles
Andrea Valsesia, Ranco (IT); Grigore Rischitor, Brussels (BE); Douglas Gilliland, Comabbio (IT); Jessica Ponti, Travedona Monate (IT); Francesco Fumagalli, Cassago in Brianza (IT); Monica Quarato, Noci (IT); Pascal Colpo, Angera (IT); and Isaac Ojea Jimenez, Munich (DE)
Assigned to THE EUROPEAN UNION, REPRESENTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Brussels (BE)
Appl. No. 17/427,421
Filed by The European Union, represented by the European Commission, Brussels (BE)
PCT Filed Jan. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/052309
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 30, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/157208, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19154521 (EP), filed on Jan. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0136980 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 21/94 (2006.01); G01N 1/28 (2006.01); G01N 21/65 (2006.01); G01N 23/2251 (2018.01); G01N 33/44 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/94 (2013.01) [G01N 1/2813 (2013.01); G01N 21/65 (2013.01); G01N 23/2251 (2013.01); G01N 33/442 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for the detection of at least one nano or micro plastic particle comprised in a heterogeneous matrix material comprising the following steps:
a) applying of at least one part of a heterogeneous matrix material comprising the at least one nano or micro plastic particle onto at least a portion of a surface of a focused ion beam irradiable electrically conductive support thereby forming a first layer onto said surface, said first layer having an average thickness equal to or lower than 10 μm, the heterogeneous matrix being a medium in which the at least one nano or micro plastic particle is embedded together with a substance or a mixture of substances, the medium being selected from the group consisting of a liquid, a solution, a suspension, a paste, a cream, a tissue and wherein the heterogeneous matrix is a naturally occurring substance selected from the group consisting of cell cultures grown on a surface, creams obtained from seafood, and cultures obtained by spreading-plating methods;
b) irradiating of at least a portion of said first layer with at least one ion beam, thereby forming an irradiated layer, the at least a portion of said first layer being irradiated by using a Ga+ focused ion beam with a radiation dose which varies from 1*1013 to below 1*1017 ions/cm2 or with a radiation dose which varies from above 1*1017 to 1*1020 ions/cm2,
c) detecting of the at least one nano or micro plastic particle comprised in said irradiated layer as formed in step b) by a detection method chosen from the group of a mass spectroscopic technique, or a Raman nanoscopic technique, or an infrared nanoscopic technique, or a charge dependent detection method, or a combination thereof, wherein the charge dependent detection method is chosen from the group of SEM, EDX and combinations thereof.