Textiles and textile products — Microplastics from textile sources — Part 2: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics

This document establishes a qualitative-quantitative analytical evaluation (i.e. determination) of microplastics to be able to define their:

— particle number;

— morphology (morphological characteristics);

— dimensional distribution;

— the type, chemical origin or nature of polymers and their colour, if present.

This document is applicable to the determination of microplastics (from the textile sector) collected in various matrices (for example textile process wastewater, clothes washing water, textile process air emissions, textile process solid waste).

This document specifies expression of results in terms of estimated surface area and mass of microplastics (MPs) per unit sample. It enables the expression of the results of the quantification of microplastics (MPs) from various sources, including samples related to the production, processing, treatment and use of textiles (raw material, manufacturing process, sample like wastewater from washing clothes, air, and industrial process water).

This document applies to textile sector samples of matrices of different physical states (solid, liquid or aeriform), for example:

— solid samples from textile production processes;

— wa