Visual microscopy is the most accessible method for microplastic analysis. While a microscope is unable to identify the polymer type, it is an effective tool for quantifying particle count, size, color, and surface morphology for microplastics greater than 50 μm.

OMARC has a Zeiss SteREO Discovery.V12 microscope with an APO objective, transillumination base, and Axiocam 105 color R2 camera, allowing for highly detailed 3D images of particles as small as 30 μm.

Vibrational spectroscopic techniques, such as infrared (IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, are commonly used to identify the polymer composition of microplastics in environmental samples. 

OMARC has a Bruker LUMOS II Fourier-transform infrared microscope (μFTIR) spectrometer with both a TE-MCT detector (6,000-670 cm⁻¹) and Focal Plane Array detector (5,000-750 cm⁻¹) for superior mapping analysis. With three modes to choose from (attenuated total reflectance (ATR), reflection, and transmission), this instrument provides fast, accurate results for particle detection and identification down to 10 μm.

Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography /Mass Spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS) is a highly sought-after tool in microplastic analysis. Unlike spectroscopic methods, Py-GC/MS is able to 1) identify trace amounts of polymer in environmental samples (i.e., nanoplastics), 2) provide advanced chemical characterization of plastics in environmental samples, including additives, and 3) quantify the mass fraction of polymer(s) present in a sample.

OMARC has a Frontier Laboratories, Ltd. Multi-Shot Pyrolyzer, which injects into an Agilent Technologies 8890 GC coupled with a 5977C single quadrupole MSD.