Agilent Enhances Microplastic Analysis System
Agilent Technologies has released an enhanced 8700 LDIR Chemical Imaging System for microplastic analysis. The upgrade offers increased testing capacity and faster, more accurate results for environmental monitoring.
Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) has announced an enhanced version of its 8700 LDIR Chemical Imaging System, specifically optimized for the analysis of microplastics in environmental samples. The upgraded package includes Clarity 1.5 software, which improves analysis speed, spectral acquisition, transformation, and library matching. It also provides automated workflows for the direct analysis of microplastics on a filter substrate.
The prevalence of microplastics in the environment is a growing global concern, leading to increased scrutiny from governments and monitoring by environmental agencies. Accurately assessing the extent of microplastic contamination requires determining the size, shape, and chemical identity of particles, including those on the micron scale, which are considered biologically most relevant.
Previously, slow and complex analysis solutions have hindered microplastic research, limiting studies of real-world systems and making trend assessment difficult due to method variability. While vibrational spectroscopy methods like FTIR and Raman microscopy offer alternatives, they face limitations in analysis time and complexity.
The Agilent 8700 LDIR system provides high-speed analysis and ease of use for infrared spectroscopy, establishing itself as a benchmark for microplastic particle analysis. The development of on-filter analysis represents a significant advancement in speed and throughput. Increased testing volumes will enable a greater understanding of microplastic contamination and aid in developing appropriate standards and regulations.