RUI: Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Hazardous Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Recycled Plastics Using Solid-Phase Microextraction

Troy University, Troy AL

Investigators

Abstract

With the support of the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Shaoyang Liu of Troy University will develop a highly sensitive and convenient analytical method to detect hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in recycled plastics. Plastics recycling may result in residual hazardous chemicals, raising public health and environmental concerns. This project aims to optimize the microextraction and mass spectrometry-based analytical procedures to enable rapid detection of hazardous chemicals in recycled plastics. The anticipated method will significantly enhance the safety and marketability of recycled products, increase consumer confidence, and improve plastic recycling rates. This work will also provide training opportunities for undergraduate students at Troy University and support safer recycling practices and healthier communities. In this project, various parameters critical to headspace solid-phase microextraction technique coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) analysis, including fiber coating selection, extraction temperature, exposure time, and GC column type, will be comprehensively investigated and optimized to effectively detect hazardous VOCs at trace levels. Representative VOCs will be strategically selected to represent diverse chemical properties relevant to contamination scenarios in recycling. Once optimized, the method will be validated with commercially available recycled plastics, facilitating its adoption for routine industrial quality control. Furthermore, the effectiveness of cleaning procedures employed by a local recycling facility will be evaluated using the developed methodology. This approach will significantly advance the analytical capabilities necessary for monitoring complex hazardous contaminants in recycled plastics, promoting safer recycled products, and fostering advancements in environmental chemistry and materials science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.