Application Note: Microplastic Analysis Using the AIM-9000 Infrared Microscope
11 February 2019

Microplastics are minute pieces of plastic with diameters ranging from a few micrometers to a couple of millimeters. In recent years, microplastics have become a global marine environmental issue since they may adversely affect coastal and marine ecosystems and potentially harm the health of human beings. In light of this issue, Japan is investigating the distribution of microplastics and the amount of harmful chemical substances such as PCB that are adsorbed to such microplastics in the coastal and offshore areas of Japan and a wide area spanning from Japan to the South Pole. In addition, the government is calling on businesses to stop using microbeads in personal care products such as scrubs.