Role of Flow Cytometry in the Analysis of Micro/Nano Plastics

Flow cytometry is a technique that uses a beam of light to simultaneously measure and analyze the physical characteristics of single particles (usually cells) as they flow in a fluid stream. These characteristics can be determined using an optical-to-electronic coupling system by measuring the way a particle scatters and emits laser light. The use of flow cytometry has been identified as a rapid and robust approach for the analysis of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs). Using a laser beam of varying wavelengths, flow cytometry can detect, count, and sort fluorescently labeled MPs/NPs. Flow cytometry can be used to monitor the presence and abundance of MPs/NPs in a variety of samples including water, air, soil, food, aqueous media, and biological samples. Moreover, flow cytometry has been successfully used to study MPs/NPs accumulation and aggregation in aquatic organisms. This information can be used to understand the mechanisms by which MPs/NPs interact with cells and tissues and to track the movement of MPs/NPs in the environment to assess their potential toxic impact on human health and ecosystems. This chapter discusses the recent developments in the application of flow cytometry instrumentation for the characterization and quantification of MPs/NPs in different varieties of samples.