The overall objective is to develop state of art technologies for manipulating micro and nanoplastic containing samples for each analytical technique.

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Key to the identification and enumeration of micro and nanoplastic is the prior preparation of samples. Each current analytical technique (FTIR, Raman or PY-GC-MS) requires a sample in a different format, and each sample type in each group (water, beverages, foodstuffs) requires a different procedure to produce that with various limitations and challenges. Just in the preparation of an optimally prepared sample lie many challenges, and from then others lie in the avoidance of sample contamination through contact with the air and people. Moreover, for many samples, for analysis to take place within an inline format requires novel sample preparation protocols where drying does not take place nor microscopy used but still renders the micro and nanoplastic detectable. To solve these problems, not least for the inline measurements, microfluidic and LOC technologies will be used, analogous to solutions developed for human healthcare problems. Initially, for proof of principle and for ease of application, solutions will be sought for water-based detection using current technologies, before others are developed for inline applications. From M19 onwards, microfluidic and LOC solutions will be developed for more complex media like beer, honey and salt following on from development by WFSR through conventional methods.