The biological impact of microplastics in human food and water sources is largely unknown, and drinking water sources are not exempt from microplastic contamination. Here, we demonstrate a streamlined approach for capturing, quantifying, and identifying microplastics in drinking water. We present an analytical workflow termed Silicon Nanomembrane Analysis Pipeline (SNAP) that takes advantage of novel silicon nitride nanomembranes which enable a significant “concentration factor,” consolidating suspended particles into a planarized observation area for individuated, quantifiable, and multimodal particle analysis on the same substrate.
Drinking water samples sourced in the Rochester, NY region were collected and analyzed using SNAP. Particles in each sample were characterized by optical and electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and various identified constituents were quantified in proportion to total captured particles.