ISO 4484-2:2023 - Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Microplastics from Textile Sources: Insights into Particle Characteristics and Environmental Impact

ISO 4484-2:2023 is a standard that focuses on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics derived from textile sources. It provides a method for evaluating and determining various characteristics of microplastics, including particle number, morphology, dimensional distribution, and the type, chemical origin, or nature of polymers along with their color if present. The standard is applicable to microplastics collected from different matrices such as textile process wastewater, clothes washing water, textile process air emissions, and textile process solid waste.

The document specifies the expression of results in terms of estimated surface area and mass of microplastics per unit sample. It is designed to quantify microplastics from various sources related to textile production, processing, treatment, and use, covering raw materials, manufacturing processes, and samples like wastewater from washing clothes, air, and industrial process water.

ISO 4484-2:2023 is applicable to samples of different physical states, including solid samples from textile production processes, water samples from textile production and clothing washing, and air samples to assess air quality in textile company workplaces. The information provided by this standard, such as size, shape, surface, and mass estimates, can be used for ecotoxicological assessments, transferring valuable data to specialists in the field.