Nanoplastics (plastic debris <1 μm in diameter) are a growing threat to our oceans, as nanoplastics demonstrate toxicity and are biomagnified through the aquatic food chain. Current detection methods for nanoplastics suffer from low specificity, inaccurate quantification, or require high-cost equipment, non-portable equipment which limits testing. There is a need for rapid, inexpensive testing methodology capable of discerning the size and chemical composition of nanoplastics. Here we propose to develop our compact, portable, easy-to-operate solid-state nanopore system for the detection and quantification of nanoplastics. We hypothesize that we can differentiate NPs from organic particles due to differences in electrical signals generated as the particles pass through nanopores. To test our hypothesis, we will fabricate low aspect ratio nanopores and validate these for detection of NPs using NIST traceable particle size standards. Finally, we will use our nanopore system to detect pure PET and PVC NPs of varying sizes. We anticipate our system will be capable of differentiating nanoplastics by size, shape, and chemical composition. Our low-cost, compact instrument will be useful for field studies of nanoplastics contamination, or for routine analyses of drinking water, and in production water and wastewater in manufacturing and food industries.

Under development by Goeppert LLC.
See Phase I grant application for details:
NOAA SBIR Phase I V6 (2)