San Juan Bay Estuary Program has been collecting microplastic samples from the water bodies of the estuary, as part of their citizen scientist program. Beside collecting, they filtered them to isolate the microplastics, and quantified and classified them based on their physical characteristics. This research evaluated each piece of microplastics collected using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) with a total internal reflectance (ATR) system. Identification was validated obtaining the IR spectrum from plastic pieces of known composition and comparing them with those from the literature, confirming that FTIR-ATR configuration and sample handling was proper. Each set of samples received was in a Petri dish properly labeled. Samples contained fibers, beads, and fragments of plastics. Results confirmed that all the samples had microplastics, and the most abundant were polyethylene and polystyrene, and in less proportion polypropylene and expanded polystyrene. Fibers were mostly polystyrene, which are associated with the synthetic fibers used in clothing. Most of the fragments corresponded to polyethylene and polystyrene, probable from the degradation of commonly used product such as grocery bags, bottles, foam cups and one time use houseware.

FTIR identification of microplastics from the surface water at San Juan Estuary

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