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A Raman spectral reference library of potential anthropogenic and biological ocean polymers
- Emily Miller
- Kevan Yamahara
- Chris French
- Neil Spingarn
- Jim Birch
- Kyle S. Van Houtan
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Description: Microplastics have been documented across marine ecosystems and food webs globally. To solve this pollution crisis, identifying the debris material is key to understanding its origin, pathway, and ultimately its source. Visually based techniques, however, are not diagnostic. Raman spectroscopy is an increasingly preferred identification method for its accuracy and reduced likelihood of misinterpretation, though it can be inaccessible due to cost and availability of relevant labeled polymer spectra for comparison. Here, we provide an open access reference library of high-quality, broad-spectrum Raman spectra of major polymer categories often present in the marine environment. The library includes (a) pristine anthropogenic polymers newly sourced from manufacturers (n=40), (b) weathered anthropogenic polymers collected from used consumer, beachcast, agricultural, and fishery sources (n=22), and (c) biological polymers representing diverse marine taxa, trophic levels, and tissues (n=17). This database can help researchers in this rapidly expanding field to identify polymers and debris pathways and in turn, facilitate greater understanding of the global issue of marine plastic pollution.
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