Overview
EN ISO 24187:2023 - Principles for the analysis of microplastics present in the environment is a CEN-endorsed ISO standard that establishes overarching principles for analysing microplastics across environmental matrices. Published in 2023 (ISO 24187:2023 / EN ISO 24187:2023), it sets minimum requirements for sampling, sample preparation, detection and representative sampling quantities to promote harmonized, comparable results while specific method standards are developed. The document is a principles guide - it does not specify monitoring programs and is intended to support consistent development of future, matrix-specific standards.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose: Defines the analytical framework and minimum requirements for microplastics analysis in various environmental matrices until specific standards exist.
- Particle size classification: Establishes the basis for plastic particle size classes relevant to microplastics analyses (definitions adapted from ISO/TR 21960:2020).
- Sampling guidance: Principles for sampling of water, terrestrial/semiterrestrial/subhydric soils (sediments), indoor/outdoor air, sludges, mineral/inorganic materials and biota. Includes considerations for sample volumes, mesh sizes and filter materials.
- Sample preparation: General requirements and treatments such as drying, milling/grinding, removal of inorganic and organic matter to produce representative analytical samples.
- Detection and identification: Guidance on selecting appropriate detection techniques and aligning method choice with the analytical objective (single-particle vs. bulk analysis).
- Data processing: Principles for interpreting individual spectra/chromatograms and managing large datasets, with an informative annex on advanced data processing.
- Analytical quality assurance: Emphasis on use of reference materials and conducting interlaboratory comparison tests to validate methods and ensure result comparability.
- Limitations: The standard explicitly excludes requirements for monitoring programs.
Practical applications and users
EN ISO 24187:2023 is practical for:
- Environmental and analytical laboratories developing or validating microplastics methods
- Researchers conducting comparative studies across matrices (water, soil, air, biota, sludge)
- Regulatory agencies and policymakers defining evidence-based sampling and analysis frameworks
- Industry and consultants preparing environmental assessments or method SOPs
- Standard developers creating matrix-specific microplastics test methods
By providing harmonised principles, this standard helps ensure that sampling and laboratory workflows are consistent enough to allow comparison and correlation of microplastics data across studies and jurisdictions.
Related standards
- ISO/TR 21960:2020 - source for several definitions and size-class concepts used in EN ISO 24187:2023.
- EN ISO 24187:2023 is a principles-level document intended to support the subsequent development of specific analytical standards for microplastics.
