Session One: Standardizing environmental microplastics measurement for compliance monitoring

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.