The JRC has announced the release of a new reference material (RM), EURM(r),-060, for the analysis microplastic particles in drinking water. This RM addresses microplastics as outlined in EU Drinking Water Directive.

The microplastic particles, also known as microplastics, are everywhere in our natural environment, including air, water and land. They’ve been found in drinking water, foods, plants and even our bodies. Every plastic product that is exposed to weathering releases them.

The European Commission (EC) has taken into consideration microplastics due to their inevitability. This has led to many legislative initiatives on the European level. In the recasting of Directive (EU 2020/2184), also known as Drinking Water Directive, microplastics were identified as an emerging pollutant. They are now candidates to be added to a watchlist. The EC then published “a Delegated decision laying out a methodology for measuring microplastics in human-drinking water.” EURM(r),060 is a support material to these initiatives. This material will assist the monitoring institutions in analyzing microplastics properly, looking at their size, chemical identity, and number.

EURM-060 consists of three components, including polyethylene terephthalate particles (PET), a surfactant and water. It provides microplastic PET particles in a matrix of water upon reconstitution. It is used for the assessment of performance and quality control.

You can find the material in the JRC online reference materials catalog.