As awareness grows, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, water providers and other organizations are facing new questions about microplastics in their products and processes.
Testing can help you understand whether microplastics are present, identify potential sources of contamination and establish baseline data as science and regulation continue to evolve.
For products we eat and drink, knowing what's there is an important first step.
Torrent Lab offers state-of-the-art microplastics testing with advanced capabilities to test and characterize micro- and nanoplastics in water, food, beverages and other samples.
Our high-tech facility combines advanced analytical technology with the technical expertise and rigorous quality Torrent clients have come to expect.
California defines microplastics in drinking water as solid polymeric particles with at least two dimensions greater than 1 micrometre and less than 5,000 micrometres. The state approved methods report results in size fractions rather than a single number, and the smallest fraction available depends on the method used. Contact Torrent to confirm the size fractions available for your sample type.
SWB-MP1-rev1 and SWB-MP2-rev1 are the two laboratory methods approved by the California State Water Resources Control Board for microplastics in drinking water. SWB-MP1-rev1 uses infrared spectroscopy and SWB-MP2-rev1 uses Raman spectroscopy, with visual microscopy used for particle counting in both. The California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program accredits laboratories separately for each method.
California is the first jurisdiction in the world to require microplastics monitoring in drinking water, under Senate Bill 1422 and Health and Safety Code section 116376. Monitoring is carried out in phases under State Water Board orders, and samples must be analyzed by a laboratory accredited for the applicable method. Water systems should confirm their current monitoring obligations with the Division of Drinking Water.
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimetres, and the California drinking water definition starts at 1 micrometre. Nanoplastics are smaller again, generally below 1 micrometre, and no regulatory method has been standardized for measuring them. Nanoplastics analysis is currently research grade rather than compliance grade, which is an important distinction when planning a study.
Sample volume depends on the matrix and the method. Because microplastic concentrations in treated drinking water are low, California methods allow for large volumes collected by inline sieving, in some cases up to 1,500 litres. Turnaround varies with the number of particles recovered from a sample. Contact Torrent’s Project Management team before sampling to agree volumes and timing.