Microplastics Assessment in a Microfluidic Device Fabricated Using Xurography and Thermal Laminated Methods

Microplastics pollution has become a significant environmental concern, necessitating efficient methods for detection and assessment. This study presents the fabrication of a microfluidic device using xurography and thermal lamination methods. The microplastics flow assessment was conducted using fluorescence polystyrene microbeads with diameters ranging from 14 μm to 28 μm and at flow rates ranging from 0.2 mL/h to 1.0 mL/h. In addition, Image-J software has been employed to observe and measure microplastics at various flow rates within the microfluidic device. The microfluidic device fabricated using xurography method has demonstrated high degree cutting accuracy with average percentage differences of 1.92%, 0.91%, and 3.71% for inlet, outlet and width dimension respectively. Bonding of the microfluidic layers using thermal lamination method has passed the leakage test and complied as a complete microfluidic device. In the experiment conducted, a low flow rate of 0.2 mL/h has proved advantageous for microbeads assessment, providing optimal conditions for clear visibility and accurate measurement as the microbeads moved slower with longer residency time. High-frequency microbeads were consistently recorded in the 4000 to 8000 μm2 area range across all injection flow rates. Image-J software facilitated enhanced visualization and automated quantification of microbeads flow under different flow rates used. This integrated approach demonstrates the potential of microfluidics devices used for rapid, cost-effective microplastics detection and assessment, laying groundwork for future environmental monitoring applications.