In the last year of my doctoral studies, I completed an Erasmus+ internship at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin. During the last four years, I mainly worked on investigating the fundamentals of LA-ICP-MS, focusing on aerosol formation during ablation and on non-matrix-matched calibration approaches for quantitative analysis.
However, as part of an Erasmus+ internship, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the scientists at BAM's Inorganic Trace Analysis department and develop a new calibration technique using SP-ICP-MS for microplastic (MPs) size determination. Microplastics pose a growing threat to the environment and have detrimental effects on the health of aquatic and soil organisms exposed to them.
This opportunity not only gave me the chance to work on a slightly different project and develop new skills, but also to meet other scientists and explore the never-boring city of Berlin.
Kristina Mervič, Ecotehnologies
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