A simple and efficient method for separation of low-density polyethylene films into different micro-sized groups for laboratory investigation.

Microplastics are abundant in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. While they have received much recent attention because of their effects on ecosystems, their true impact on natural environments remains difficult to assess because of the problems associated with processing them in the laboratory. In this study, we designed and implemented a new, vacuum-based method of separating different sizes of low-density polyethylene films. Using multiple sieve sizes, we achieved consistent recovery of the desired size fractions using this method. The vacuum suction (VS) system consisted of two differently sized cylindrical sieves of 500 μm (or 200 μm) and 65 μm, allowing film samples between 65 and -500 μm and 65-200 μm to be collected. The VS systems successfully separated microplastic film samples into small area ranges of 0.015-0.065 mm, and the film areas showed different distributions for each sample from the different VS systems. This system provided an easy, rapid, and low-labor means of processing different sizes of microplastics via an innovative method. Further research into the effects of microplastics on natural environments is critically needed, and the laboratory separation of different size fractions of microplastics facilitates such endeavors.