List of standards related to microplastics

Comprehensive list of existing and under development standards related to microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs). The main focus is on MNPs sampling and analysis protocols, mostly in water or from textiles, but some also cover the production of realistic samples. Some standards related to plastics in general are also included in the list, as they refer to terminology, symbols, abbreviations, etc. that are applicable to MNPs. MNPs definitions are included in ISO/TR 21960:2020.

Most of the documents are very recent and the number is increasing, so this is a copy of a living document and updated versions will be uploaded in the future. If you are aware of a standard document that is not included in the table or want to suggest a correction, please send us the information. Thank you!

For a list of commercially available MNPs, including some certified materials, which can be used as test or as reference materials, please refer to: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14969091

You may also be interested in the list of standards on weathering protocols for plastics compiled in the table S4 of https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126955. These weathering protocols are generally not applicable to MNPs because of their size, but they may be applicable to the starting materials used for the production of MNP test and reference materials.