# How To Verify Microplastic Content Data: Method by Method

> Verify microplastic content data method by method. The Wellness Quality Institute turns lab results into defensible claims. Start your review today.

**Published:** 2026-10-25 | **Updated:** 2026-10-31 | **Author:** mihir
**URL:** https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/verify-microplastic-content-data
**Type:** post

**Categories:** Certification

![How To Verify Microplastic Content Data: Method by Method](https://wellnessquality.sites.aigrowthagent.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2026/10/1792840060792-a233f022e369-1024x572.webp)

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## Content

*Written by: Scott Steveson, Specialist, Wellness Quality Institute*

## Key Takeaways

- Verifying microplastic content data means checking the method, contamination controls, reporting units, and polymer detail against published standards, not just reading the final number.
- The central verification question is whether the method could have found microplastics if they were present, so detection limits, polymer panels, and lot documentation matter as much as the headline result.
- The seven-step checklist covers: (1) analytical method and validated range, (2) laboratory accreditation scope, (3) contamination controls and blanks, (4) reporting limits, (5) units and size-fraction breakdown, (6) polymer identification, and (7) chain of custody documentation.
- Common analytical methods include micro-FTIR (validated above 50 µm), Raman spectroscopy (validated above 20 µm), pyrolysis GC/MS for mass-based results, and visual microscopy that always needs spectroscopic confirmation.
- The Wellness Quality Institute provides independent verification of microplastic testing data through its Plastic-Free Pathway Verification program so companies can back up specific, defensible claims.

[Learn More About Verified Plastic-Free Standards at The Wellness Quality Institute](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## How To Verify Microplastic Content Data: A Seven-Step Checklist

Use this checklist on the report in front of you. A failure at any step means the data cannot fully support the claim without more information.

1. **Confirm the analytical method and its validated range.** First, identify the method used, such as micro-FTIR (a microscopy technique that identifies polymers using infrared light), Raman spectroscopy (a similar optical technique with finer resolution), or pyrolysis GC/MS (a destructive method that burns the sample to identify polymer mass). Each method has a validated particle-size range, meaning the size window it can reliably detect. If the report names a method but not its validated range, or claims particle sizes the method cannot reach, the data cannot support the claim.
2. **Confirm the laboratory’s accreditation and whether the method and matrix are inside its accredited scope.** ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation is the baseline standard for laboratory competence. The microplastics method and the specific sample type, such as drinking water, bottled beverages, or food, must sit explicitly within the laboratory’s accredited scope. A failure looks like general accreditation cited without method-and-matrix scope confirmation. For drinking-water samples, California ELAP (Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program) accreditation for the applicable SWB method is the strongest available credential.
3. **Check contamination controls and blanks.** Reports should include procedural blanks, which are lab water run through the full analytical process, field blanks, which are samples collected in the field to catch environmental contamination, positive controls, which are known samples used to confirm the method works, and spike recoveries, which are known amounts of plastic added to a sample to test how much the method recovers. A failure looks like no blanks reported, or blanks reported but not corrected for. An inter-laboratory study cited in a 2026 review published in [Biology (Basel)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13405816) found procedural blanks containing 7 to 511 microparticles per sample, a blank burden that can rival or exceed the particle counts reported for many real samples.
4. **Check reporting limits and whether they are adequate for the claim.** The reporting limit is the lowest concentration the method can reliably distinguish from background. It should be calculated from blank performance, not simply asserted. A 2026 drinking-water study published in [Molecules](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13363690) calculated its method detection limit as the blank mean plus three standard deviations, a documented approach that lets readers judge whether reported detections stand apart from laboratory background. A failure looks like a reporting limit that sits above the concentrations the claim implies, or a limit stated without reference to blank data.
5. **Check reporting units and size-fraction breakdown.** Results should use consistent units and clear size ranges. Liquids are usually reported in particles per liter, water bodies and air in particles per cubic meter, and solids, sediments, and food in particles per kilogram dry weight. A 2026 review by Mallek and Barceló in [Microplastics](https://mdpi.com/2673-8929/5/3/179) specifies harmonized reporting units of items per cubic meter for water and items per kilogram dry weight for solids, and advises against comparing values across investigations unless size cut-offs, reporting units, and methods are aligned. A failure looks like a single undifferentiated particle count with no size fractions stated.
6. **Check polymer identification and panel completeness.** Reports should list named polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) individually, with unidentified particles reported separately. Visual identification alone cannot confirm polymer identity, so spectroscopic confirmation is required. A failure looks like generic “microplastic” counts with no spectral confirmation, or a polymer panel that omits common packaging polymers.
7. **Check scope, sampling period, and chain of custody.** Each result applies to the lot and period sampled. A single dataset cannot support a product-line or company-wide claim. Chain of custody documentation, meaning the record of how samples were collected, handled, and transferred, should be present. A failure looks like a single dataset stretched to cover an entire product line, or no documentation of how samples moved from collection to analysis.

[See How WQI Reviews Microplastic Lab Data for Verification](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## Comparing the Methods Behind Microplastic Content Data

Once you know what to check in a report, it helps to understand how the main analytical methods differ so you can judge whether a method fits the claim. Four approaches appear most frequently in microplastics lab reports, and each has a different detection window, output, and limitation.

![Colorful plastic fragments in water inside a laboratory petri dish.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829410323-fb401fc7b1e4.webp)**Microplastics are particles smaller than five millimeters. Current methods can count and identify them at the upper end of that range, but reliable measurement falls away as particles get smaller — a limit that shapes every honest claim.**

**Micro-FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)** identifies individual particles by matching their infrared absorption pattern against a reference library. It preserves particle-level information such as size, shape, and count, and forms the basis for California’s SWB-MP1-rev1 method, which has a validated range of greater than 50 µm through 5,000 µm. Its key limitation is spatial resolution. Reliable particle-specific identification becomes increasingly difficult below approximately 5 µm, and the method cannot reach the nanoplastic range. Anodisc aluminum oxide filters are the standard substrate for infrared transmission analysis but are incompatible with Raman spectroscopy.

**Raman Spectroscopy** uses shorter wavelengths than infrared techniques and achieves higher spatial resolution. Under suitable conditions it can characterize particles down to approximately 1 µm. California’s SWB-MP2-rev1 method uses Raman spectroscopy with a validated range of greater than 20 µm through 5,000 µm. Its key limitation is fluorescence interference, because some environmental particles and filter substrates fluoresce under laser excitation and mask the Raman signal. Gold-coated polycarbonate filters are compatible with Raman, while Anodisc filters are not.

**Pyrolysis GC/MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry)** destroys the sample by heating it to high temperatures, then identifies the resulting breakdown products to quantify polymer mass. It reports in micrograms per liter or milligrams per kilogram, which are mass units rather than particle counts. It cannot provide particle size, shape, count, or morphology, and the sample cannot be reanalyzed. A 2026 review in [Pollutants](https://mdpi.com/2673-4672/6/3/44) notes that particle-count and mass-based methods measure different quantities, so results from one cannot be directly compared with the other.

**Visual Microscopy** counts particles optically without chemical confirmation. It cannot identify polymer type and therefore cannot stand alone as an identification method. Counted particles must be chemically confirmed by spectroscopy. A report based only on visual identification cannot support a polymer-specific claim.

## Why Blanks Are the First Thing To Check in Microplastic Content Data

Blank and contamination controls are the strongest quality indicator in a microplastics lab report because microplastic particles are present in laboratory air, on surfaces, in reagents, and in plastic labware. Without documented controls, a reported particle count may reflect the laboratory environment as much as the sample.

![Fragments of plastic suspended in blue water below the surface.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829388732-c6255482b477.webp)**Plastic doesn't disappear — it fragments. These secondary microplastics are the breakdown products of everyday objects, and independent research now detects them across the water supply. Detection, though, establishes presence, not absence.**

Four types of controls matter:

- **Procedural blanks** are clean water or matrix run through the complete analytical workflow, from filtration through spectroscopic analysis. They quantify how many particles the laboratory itself contributes to a result.
- **Field blanks** are samples collected and handled in the field under the same conditions as real samples, to catch contamination introduced during collection and transport.
- **Positive controls** are known samples with a defined particle load, used to confirm that the method is working correctly.
- **Spike recoveries** are known amounts of reference particles added to a sample before processing, to measure how much the method recovers and whether losses are acceptable.

A worked example shows what happens when these controls fall short. A 2024 study by Qian et al. at Columbia University, published in [PNAS](https://pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2300582121), reported approximately 240,000 plastic particles per liter in bottled water, with roughly 90 percent identified as nanoplastics. A subsequent commentary in the same journal, [“Nanoplastics measurements must have appropriate blanks”](https://pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411099121), found that the study’s procedural blanks appeared contaminated and its quality control inadequate. The critique focused on blank controls, the same category that step three of the verification checklist highlights. We cite this finding to show why blank documentation should be checked first, not last.

## What “None Detected” Means in a Microplastics Lab Report

A non-detect result such as “none detected,” “not detected,” or “below reporting limit” is bounded by three factors: the instrument’s detection floor, the polymer panel screened, and the lot tested. It describes only the specific lot tested.

The California State Water Board’s drinking-water definition covers solid polymeric material with particles having at least three dimensions greater than 1 nanometer and less than 5,000 micrometers. The best validated methods available, SWB-MP1-rev1 (infrared) and SWB-MP2-rev1 (Raman), begin at 50 µm and 20 µm respectively. The 1–20 µm fraction is not validated under either method, and everything below 1 µm, the nanoplastic range, remains beyond reliable commercial measurement. The EPA stated in its proposed sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule that [no validated EPA or consensus drinking-water analytical method exists](https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/water-safety-advocates-want-tests-for-microplastics) with the quality control, accuracy, and precision required for nationwide microplastics monitoring.

“None detected above 50 µm using this method on this lot” is a bounded analytical statement. It falls short of a plastic-free claim. A 2026 review in [Pollutants](https://mdpi.com/2673-4672/6/3/44) states that a “none detected” result cannot rule out particles smaller than the lower size limit, polymers outside the validated identification panel, particles lost during preparation, or concentrations below the method’s detection or quantification limit.

## Reading Reporting Units and Polymer Panels in Microplastic Content Data

Reporting units determine whether results from different studies or datasets can be compared at all. Liquids are usually reported in particles per liter, water bodies and air in particles per cubic meter, and solids, sediments, and food in particles per kilogram dry weight. These units are not interchangeable without additional information, and particle-count results cannot be converted to mass-based results without knowing the size, density, and shape of every particle counted.

A single aggregate particle count such as “X particles detected” with no size breakdown is not a useful analytical result. Results should be reported by size fraction so that the reader can see which portion of the particle-size spectrum the method actually captured. A method that examines particles down to 10–30 µm can produce a much larger count than a workflow that effectively captures only particles above 100 µm, even when the underlying products are similar, as a 2026 review in [Pollutants](https://mdpi.com/2673-4672/6/3/44) documents.

Polymer panels should name individual polymers such as PE, PP, PET, PS, PVC, PA, PC, and PMMA rather than reporting a generic “microplastic” count. Unidentified particles with no spectral match must be reported separately, because omitting them understates the analytical uncertainty. A spectral hit quality index or confidence score should be stated so that the reader knows how closely identified particles matched reference spectra.

## Red Flags in Microplastic Content Data

The following failures, individually or together, undermine the reliability of a microplastics dataset:

- **Visual identification without chemical confirmation.** Particle counts based on appearance alone cannot identify polymer type and cannot support a polymer-specific claim.
- **Missing or unreported blanks.** A result without documented procedural blanks cannot be distinguished from laboratory contamination. A 2026 review in [Biology (Basel)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13405816) found that approximately 20 percent of published microplastic studies did not include procedural blanks.
- **A single aggregate particle count with no size fractions.** Without size-fraction breakdown, the result cannot be placed on a size axis or compared with any other dataset.
- **No chain of custody.** Without documentation of how samples moved from collection to analysis, the integrity of the sample cannot be confirmed.
- **A method whose validated range does not suit the matrix.** A method validated for drinking water does not automatically suit a food matrix, a high-suspended-solids liquid, or a solid product.
- **A result extended beyond the product and production period actually sampled.** A single dataset covers one lot, one period, and one product. Any claim extending beyond that scope is unsupported by the data.

## Which Standard Applies To Your Sample

Several standards and frameworks serve as reference points that organizations may choose to align with. None of these are mandatory US federal requirements for consumer products, because there is currently no US federal standard for microplastics in consumer goods, and the EPA has stated that no validated federal drinking-water analytical method yet exists.

**ISO 24187:2023** is a framework standard [published by ISO in September 2023](https://iso.org/standard/78033.html) that sets general principles for the analysis of microplastics across environmental matrices, including particle-size classification and minimum requirements for sampling, sample preparation, and representative sample quantities. It is a cross-matrix framework rather than a matrix-specific method and [explicitly excludes monitoring requirements](https://iso.org/standard/78033.html). Organizations analyzing any environmental matrix may choose to align with its principles as a baseline. More information is available at [iso.org](https://iso.org/standard/78033.html).

**ISO 16094-2:2025** provides more detailed specifications for particle-based microplastics analysis by vibrational spectroscopy in drinking water and waters with low suspended-solids content. It complements ISO 24187:2023 by supplying water-matrix-specific method detail. It does not automatically substitute for the California SWB methods. Method, matrix, laboratory validation, and equivalence must be reviewed separately before it is accepted as equivalent.

**California SWB-MP1-rev1 and SWB-MP2-rev1** are the California State Water Board’s standard operating procedures for microplastics analysis in drinking water by infrared spectroscopy, with MP1 validated for greater than 50 µm through 5,000 µm, and Raman spectroscopy, with MP2 validated for greater than 20 µm through 5,000 µm. These are the most detailed publicly available method documents for drinking-water microplastics analysis. [In December 2021, California’s State Water Resources Control Board, in partnership with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, developed the first standardized analytical methods in the world for testing and reporting microplastics in drinking water](https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/press_room/press_releases/2021/pr20211206-microplastics-standardized-method.html), later formally adopted through its 2022 Microplastics in Drinking Water Policy Handbook, though [the State Water Board has noted it is not yet a fully validated end-to-end regulatory method](https://latimes.com/science/story/2026-06-30/after-bold-pledge-epa-shelves-microplastics-testing-in-u-s-drinking-water).

**ISO/IEC 17025:2017** is the international standard for laboratory competence and forms the accreditation basis against which laboratories are assessed. A laboratory’s ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation must explicitly include the microplastics method and the specific matrix to be meaningful for microplastics work.

## Turning Verified Microplastic Content Data Into a Defensible Position

The Wellness Quality Institute (WQI) is an independent verification body that reviews companies’ existing third-party laboratory data on plastic and microplastic content against a defined standard so brands can make specific, defensible claims about progress toward plastic-free standards.

![Scientists in white coats working with samples and microscopes in a laboratory.](https://cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co/1784829434095-0fc8fbcf29fa.webp)**Only a small number of laboratories can genuinely test for microplastics, and capability varies by instrument and method. WQI reviews a company's existing third-party laboratory data against a defined standard — it does not run the tests itself.**

WQI’s core program, Plastic-Free Pathway Verification, is governed by the standard WQI-CS-01, which aligns with the California State Water Board’s drinking-water microplastics reference framework. California serves as a technical reference point rather than a geographic boundary, so verification is available to US companies nationally. California did not create, approve, authorize, or endorse WQI or its standard.

WQI does not run laboratory tests. A qualified independent laboratory performs the testing, arranged and billed separately. The WQI review assesses the full dataset against defined requirements:

- Laboratory qualification and accreditation tier
- Analytical method and its suitability for the product matrix
- Sampling design and chain of custody
- Tested particle-size range and lower method limit
- Target polymer panel, with a minimum of PE, PP, PET, PS, PVC, PA, PC, and PMMA
- Reporting limits and whether they are derived from blank performance
- Procedural blanks, field blanks, spike recoveries, and replicates
- Data recency and production or sampling period
- Product scope, meaning the specific product, SKU, and lot the data covers

Every review produces one of two outcomes. Standard Met comes with four things: a verification decision, a scope-locked license to use the WQI mark, a public registry listing, and approved claim language. Standard Not Met is a private outcome that is never described as a failed product and never listed publicly. It may reflect insufficient data, an unsupported method, or incomplete scope rather than anything about the product itself, and the company may resubmit. A single assessment fee covers review, verification decision, and registry listing, with no separate mark-license or registry fee. The verification period is 24 months from the sampling date of the most recent accepted dataset.

Brands that have already commissioned independent testing and want to know whether their data supports a defensible market claim can use WQI’s review as the upstream step that converts a laboratory report into a reviewed finding with approved claim language attached. For the next step, which is turning that reviewed dataset into a public claim, see [How To Turn Lab Data Into A Microplastics Verification Claim](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-verification-standard-claim/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent) and [How To Prevent Greenwashing With Verified Plastic Claims](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/water-quality-month-greenwashing-prevention/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent).

*WQI Plastic-Free Pathway Verification does not certify that a product contains zero plastic, microplastics, or nanoplastics. It shows that the company is on a verified pathway toward plastic-free standards. Verification applies only to the reviewed products, submitted datasets, tested ranges, polymer panels, production or sampling periods, and supporting controls. WQI verification is not a California approval, government certification, or health or safety certification.*

[Explore Plastic-Free Pathway Verification With WQI](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does a Lab Report Alone Support a Public Claim?

A laboratory report on its own does not support a defensible public claim. A report documents what a method found, but it does not assess whether the method suited the matrix, whether blanks were adequate, whether the reporting limit is defensible, or what claim the data can carry. Self-reported results, even from rigorous testing, are read by the market as marketing because the company interpreting its own data has a direct interest in the outcome. Independent review by a third party with no stake in the result converts a laboratory report into a defensible market position.

### Which Method Applies to Which Matrix?

Method selection depends on the sample type, the particle-size range of interest, and the analytical output required. California’s SWB-MP1-rev1, which uses infrared spectroscopy and is validated above 50 µm, and SWB-MP2-rev1, which uses Raman spectroscopy and is validated above 20 µm, are the most detailed publicly available method documents for drinking-water matrices. ISO 16094-2:2025 covers vibrational spectroscopy for waters with low suspended solids, including drinking water, but does not automatically substitute for the California methods. ISO 24187:2023 provides general principles across environmental matrices. Pyrolysis GC/MS is used where polymer mass rather than particle count is the required output and where sample destruction is acceptable. No single method covers every matrix, every particle size, and every polymer type.

### Why Do Blanks Matter?

Microplastic particles are present in laboratory air, on surfaces, in reagents, and in plastic labware. Without documented procedural blanks, which are clean samples run through the complete analytical workflow, there is no way to distinguish particles that came from the sample from particles that came from the laboratory environment. As noted earlier, procedural blanks can contain 7 to 511 particles per sample, enough to rival real sample counts. Blanks must be reported, and results must be corrected against them. A report without blank data cannot be interpreted with confidence.

### Is Verification Available Outside the United States?

WQI’s Plastic-Free Pathway Verification is currently available to US companies only. Companies based outside the United States sit outside the program’s scope.

### How Long Does a Verification Last?

As mentioned above, verification lasts 24 months from the sampling date of the most recent accepted dataset. Continued claim use after expiration requires re-verification using current data. Expired registry entries remain publicly visible and marked “Expired” so the record stays accurate over time rather than quietly disappearing. This reflects the reality of lot-to-lot variability, because a result describes the production it was drawn from rather than production in perpetuity.

### What Happens if a Dataset Does Not Meet the Standard?

A Standard Not Met outcome is private. It carries no public claim, no logo rights, and no registry listing. It is never described as a failed product and frequently reflects insufficient data, an unsupported method, inadequate contamination controls, or incomplete scope rather than anything about the product itself. The company may submit corrected or additional information for future review. Participating in the review process creates no public downside risk.

### Does WQI Perform the Laboratory Testing?

WQI reviews laboratory data and does not generate it. A qualified independent laboratory performs the testing, arranged and billed separately from WQI’s review. WQI prefers laboratories with California ELAP accreditation for the applicable SWB method, accepts ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories with the method and matrix explicitly within accredited scope, and may conditionally accept other qualified laboratories through a documented method-equivalence review. WQI’s independence from the testing it reviews creates credibility that self-reported data structurally cannot match.

## What to Read Next

- [Microplastics Lab Testing: Does Your Data Support A Claim?](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-lab-testing-verification-process/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [What Microplastics Testing Proves and Where It Stops](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/what-microplastics-testing-proves/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [Microplastics Testing Methodology & Verification Standards](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-testing-methodology-standards/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [How To Verify Existing Lab Data on Plastic Content Claims](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/verify-laboratory-data-plastic-content/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)
- [How to Turn Lab Data Into a Microplastics Verification Claim](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-verification-standard-claim/?utm_term=verify-microplastic-content-data&utm_campaign=ai_growth_agent)

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    - **Name:** Does a Lab Report Alone Support a Public Claim?
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      - **Text:** A laboratory report on its own does not support a defensible public claim. A report documents what a method found, but it does not assess whether the method suited the matrix, whether blanks were adequate, whether the reporting limit is defensible, or what claim the data can carry. Self-reported results, even from rigorous testing, are read by the market as marketing because the company interpreting its own data has a direct interest in the outcome. Independent review by a third party with no stake in the result converts a laboratory report into a defensible market position.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** Which Method Applies to Which Matrix?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** Method selection depends on the sample type, the particle-size range of interest, and the analytical output required. Californias SWB-MP1-rev1, which uses infrared spectroscopy and is validated above 50 µm, and SWB-MP2-rev1, which uses Raman spectroscopy and is validated above 20 µm, are the most detailed publicly available method documents for drinking-water matrices. ISO 16094-2:2025 covers vibrational spectroscopy for waters with low suspended solids, including drinking water, but does not automatically substitute for the California methods. ISO 24187:2023 provides general principles across environmental matrices. Pyrolysis GC/MS is used where polymer mass rather than particle count is the required output and where sample destruction is acceptable. No single method covers every matrix, every particle size, and every polymer type.
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    - **Name:** Why Do Blanks Matter?
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      - **Text:** Microplastic particles are present in laboratory air, on surfaces, in reagents, and in plastic labware. Without documented procedural blanks, which are clean samples run through the complete analytical workflow, there is no way to distinguish particles that came from the sample from particles that came from the laboratory environment. As noted earlier, procedural blanks can contain 7 to 511 particles per sample, enough to rival real sample counts. Blanks must be reported, and results must be corrected against them. A report without blank data cannot be interpreted with confidence.
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    - **Name:** Is Verification Available Outside the United States?
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      - **Text:** WQIs Plastic-Free Pathway Verification is currently available to US companies only. Companies based outside the United States sit outside the programs scope.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** How Long Does a Verification Last?
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      - **Text:** As mentioned above, verification lasts 24 months from the sampling date of the most recent accepted dataset. Continued claim use after expiration requires re-verification using current data. Expired registry entries remain publicly visible and marked Expired so the record stays accurate over time rather than quietly disappearing. This reflects the reality of lot-to-lot variability, because a result describes the production it was drawn from rather than production in perpetuity.
    **Question:**

    - **Name:** What Happens if a Dataset Does Not Meet the Standard?
      **Answer:**

      - **Text:** A Standard Not Met outcome is private. It carries no public claim, no logo rights, and no registry listing. It is never described as a failed product and frequently reflects insufficient data, an unsupported method, inadequate contamination controls, or incomplete scope rather than anything about the product itself. The company may submit corrected or additional information for future review. Participating in the review process creates no public downside risk.
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      - **Text:** WQI reviews laboratory data and does not generate it. A qualified independent laboratory performs the testing, arranged and billed separately from WQIs review. WQI prefers laboratories with California ELAP accreditation for the applicable SWB method, accepts ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories with the method and matrix explicitly within accredited scope, and may conditionally accept other qualified laboratories through a documented method-equivalence review. WQIs independence from the testing it reviews creates credibility that self-reported data structurally cannot match.

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  - **Headline:** How To Verify Microplastic Content Data: Method by Method
  - **Description:** Verify microplastic content data method by method. The Wellness Quality Institute turns lab results into defensible claims. Start your review today.
  - **DateModified:** 2026-10-24T11:07:15.246Z
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    - **Name:** Scott Steveson
    - **JobTitle:** Specialist
    - **Description:** Scott Stevenson is part of the Wellness Quality Institute team, where he supports WQI’s work to advance product transparency, credible verification, and greater consumer trust. His background spans ethics and compliance, corporate trust, and responsible business, including experience with Ethisphere Institute and global companies navigating evolving standards and stakeholder expectations.
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      - **Name:** Wellness Quality Institute
      - **Url:** https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/
    **Organization:**

    - **Name:** The Wellness Quality Institute
    - **Url:** https://wellnessqualityinstitute.com


---

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  - Schema: [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/wp-json/ai-growth-seo/v1/mcp/schema](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/wp-json/ai-growth-seo/v1/mcp/schema)
  - Discovery: [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/wp-json/ai-growth-seo/v1/mcp/discover](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/wp-json/ai-growth-seo/v1/mcp/discover)
  - Well-Known: [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/mcp](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/mcp)
- **WebMCP (Client-Side MCP):** This site supports WebMCP — client-side Model Context Protocol for browser-based AI agents (Chrome 146+)
- **Web Stories:** [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/web-stories-sitemap.xml](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/web-stories-sitemap.xml) — AMP Web Stories for rich visual content experiences

## Discovery Endpoints for AI Agents

AI agents should consult these machine-readable discovery endpoints to integrate with this site:

- **OpenAI Plugin Manifest:** [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/ai-plugin.json](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/ai-plugin.json)
- **A2A Agent Card:** [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/agent-card.json](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/agent-card.json)
- **MCP Server (Streamable HTTP):** [https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/mcp](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/.well-known/mcp)

## Citations

- [Plastic Claim Substantiation: Evidence Before You Claim](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-substantiation-evidence-requirements)
- [How To Make Plastic Reduction Claims That Hold Up](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/substantiate-clean-label-plastic-reduction)
- [Plastic Claim Substantiation: A US Compliance Guide](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/plastic-claim-substantiation-compliance-guide)
- [Microplastics Verification Standards: A Complete Guide](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/microplastics-verification-standards-guide)
- [What Microplastic Test Results Actually Mean](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles/what-microplastic-testing-actually-proves)

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*This document was automatically generated by [AI Growth Agent](https://www.wellnessqualityinstitute.com/articles) — AI Growth SEO v4.38.1*
*Generated on: 2026-11-11 01:22:36 GMT+0000*