Towards Comparable Microplastic Data: Challenges and Priorities for Environmental Monitoring
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Microplastics (MPs) represent one of the main threats that ecosystems currently have to face. The effects of MPs on ecosystems are not fully understood also because the lack of standardized and harmonized procedures and protocols that allow us to accurately detect and quantify levels of contamination and exposure. Inconsistencies in MP amounts occur because procedural, analytical, and reporting discrepancies notably undermine the comparability of results. This paper summarizes the sources of variability in MP data, appealing to the necessity of standardization and/or harmonization of procedural and analytical methods to avoid misleading comparisons and interpretations.
Source: Toxics
Author: Marco Parolini
Institution: University of Milan
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7208762083