ISO/FDIS 5667-27

Water quality — Sampling — Part 27: Guidance on sampling for microplastics in water

Scope

This document describes the methodology for the sampling of suspended microplastic particles in water (drinking water, surface waters, freshwater, seawater, wastewater-treated effluents, and untreated wastewater), for their subsequent characterisation which may include particle count, sizing, polymer identification and other physical or chemical analyses (including, for example, analysis via Pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), IR spectroscopy, or Raman spectroscopy, and their corresponding sample preparation).

For drinking water and water samples with low, medium and high-suspended solids, this document covers sampling using a set of subsequent stainless-steel filters of different pore sizes. For sampling in lakes, rivers, marine surface and near-surface waters the document will describe the use of manta trawls, Neuston nets and Plankton nets; and the sampling of groundwater and freshwater sediments via cylinder resuspension, benthic samplers, and groundwater monitoring systems.