2026-10-14T16:55:56Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33971083 2026-09-23T05:48:35Z category_34 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Supplementary file 1_Profiling autofluorescence signatures of microplastics from commercial plastic products by flow cytometry and multivariate analysis.docx Georgina H. Tilly-Scholes (25094512) Connor McIvor (25094515) Iliana Delcheva (16406814) Hayden L. Gillings (25094518) Melanie MacGregor (7299053) James S. Paterson (25094521) James G. Mitchell (165091) Oliver G. Best (25094524) Environmental Science autofluorescence flow cytometry microplastics multivariate analysis polymers <p>Microplastics exhibit autofluorescence, yet how this optical property varies among particles derived from commercial plastic products and its potential for stain-free differentiation remain poorly understood. This study investigated the autofluorescence signatures of polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polystyrene fragmented from various packaging, household, and construction materials using multichannel flow cytometry. Autofluorescence was measured across eleven fluorescence detection channels alongside forward scatter and side scatter, with multivariate analyses used to assess their contributions to polymer differentiation. Complementary spectroscopic analyses were performed to identify formulation-specific components within the plastic products. Autofluorescence profiles varied according to polymer type, colour, opacity, and product formulation, with peak emission generally occurring between 565 and 620 nm. Polymer differentiation depended on multichannel autofluorescence signatures rather than fluorescence intensity alone, with differentiation driven by fluorescence detection channels exhibiting the greatest variance among polymer types. Significant differences were observed among polymer types (p < 0.001). Side scatter consistently provided greater differentiation than forward scatter, whereas scatter-based normalisation significantly reduced differentiation (p < 0.001). Complementary spectroscopic analyses identified a calcium carbonate filler in white polyvinyl chloride, a phthalate-type plasticiser in clear polyvinyl chloride, and a copper phthalocyanine pigment in black high-density polyethylene. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the potential of autofluorescence-based multichannel flow cytometry for microplastic differentiation while providing a foundation for future studies involving more complex and environmentally representative samples.</p> 2026-09-23T05:48:35Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1866200.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_file_1_Profiling_autofluorescence_signatures_of_microplastics_from_commercial_plastic_products_by_flow_cytometry_and_multivariate_analysis_docx/33971083 CC BY 4.0