ISO/WD 24899

Plastics - A method for extraction of microplastics from compost samples

Scope

This document specifies a laboratory method for the extraction of non-biodegradable and biodegradable plastic particles including microplastics from compost matrices from industrial or home composting origin. The method describes different extraction steps assuring homogenous sampling, particle and polymer stability, and high recovery rate. The extraction yields a representative fraction of plastic particles including microplastics that can be further analysed.
This document will not describe downstream analytical methods for the identification and quantification of extracted microplastics in detail but will offer an overview of the analytical methods that can be used for the beforementioned purposes.
The method in this document is not intended for microplastic extraction from terrestrial or aquatic compartments.