About us
The founders of LHZ analytics are currently employed as scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon. Both founders have been working on the development, validation and application of new analytical methods for the detection of microplastics in the environment and biological samples. Validation and optimisation have always been of the utmost interest.
Dr.
Lars
Hildebrandt
After studying chemistry and business studies, Lars obtained his PhD degree in analytical chemistry from the Universität Hamburg in 2021. Lars is involved in various research projects in the field of micro- and nanoplastics, and the analysis of plastic additives.
Dr.
Tristan
Zimmermann
Since completing his PhD in analytical chemistry at the Universität Hamburg in 2019, Tristan has been working on the development and application of new protocols focussing on elemental and isotope analysis, as well as the analysis of microplastics.
Understanding a problem is the first step to solving it. At LHZ analytics, we provide the crucial data needed to tackle the global plastic crisis through our core competence: the precise analysis of microplastics and synthetic fibers in the environment. We identify these anthropogenic particles—often created by photodegradation and mechanical stress on larger plastic waste—to build a robust scientific foundation for action.
Our analytical services are always aligned with the latest scientific findings and meet the growing demands of regulatory bodies and legislation. Adherence to established international standards is fundamental to our work, ensuring your results are reliable, comparable, and legally defensible.
We operate in accordance with key standards, including:
DIN EN ISO 24187:2024-04: Principles for the analysis of microplastics present in the environment.
ISO/FDIS 16094-2: Water quality - Analysis of microplastic in water - Part 2: Vibrational spectroscopy methods for waters with low content of suspended solids including drinking water
Directive (EU) 2020/2184 - COMMISSION DELEGATED DECISION of 11.3.2024 ; ANNEX - METHODOLOGY TO MEASURE MICROPLASTICS IN WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
ASTM D8332-20 & D8333-20: Standard practices for the collection and preparation of water samples for microplastic particle identification and quantification.
SCCWRP Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): For the extraction and measurement of microplastic particles in drinking water via Raman Spectroscopy.
Relevant microplastic-related publications of the founders
A. Jahnke, A. J. Beck, R. L. Beckerd, D. Bedulina, U. Braun, G. Gerdts, L. Hildebrandt, H. Joerss, O. Klein, J. Korduan, C. Laforsch, G. Lannig, H. A. Leslie, S. Lips, F. Menger, D. Nabi, S. Oberbeckmann, S. Primpke, D. Pröfrock, A. F.R.M. Ramsperger, M. Römerscheid, M. Schmitt-Jansen, B. M. Scholz-Böttcher, O. Tröppner, K. Wendt-Potthoff, D. Kühnel, Perspective Article: Multisectoral considerations to enable a circular economy for plastics, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025, 139326.
L. Hildebrandt, C. Vetter, T. Zimmermann, D. Pröfrock, Chapter 30 - Quality assurance and quality control: The prevention of airborne contamination, Microplastics in Agriculture and Food Science Methods for Identification and Remediation, 2025, 455-462.
P. Bruce-Vanderpuije, R. Asmah, M. Ameworwor, D. W. Hotor, L. Hildebrandt, D. Pröfrock, R. Ebinghaus, Z. Haruna, I. C. Norvimagbe, K. A. Asante, A. A. Nunoo, M. Y. Osei-Atweneboana, Quantitative Assessment of Microplastics in fish from the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana, using LDIR Spectroscopy: Implications for Marine Food Safety and Health Risk Evaluation., Environmental Pollution, 2025, 126518.
C.B. Vetter, L. Hildebrandt, T. Zimmermann, C.E. Schmidt, F. El Gareb, D.M. Mitrano, D. Pröfrock, H. Thomas, Analysis of microplastics in the fjords of Tunu (East Greenland), Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2025, 118192.
L. Reuning, L. Hildebrandt, D. K. Kersting, D. Pröfrock, High levels of microplastics and microrubber pollution in a remote, protected Mediterranean Cladocora caespitosa coral bed, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2025, 118070.
D. Ciornii,V.-D. Hodoroaba, N. Benismail, A. Maltseva, J. F. Ferrer, J. Wang, R. Parra, R. Jézéquel, J. Receveur, D. Gabriel, A. Scheitler, C. van Oversteeg, J. Roosma, A. van Renesse van Duivenbode, T. Bulters, M. Zanella, A. Perini, F. Benetti, D. Mehn, G. Dierkes, M. Soll, T. Ishimura, M. Bednarz, G. Peng, L. Hildebrandt, M. Peters, S.-K. Kim, J. Türk, F. Steinfeld, J. Jung, S. Hong, E.-J. Kim, H.-W. Yu, S. Klockmann, C. Krafft, J. Süssmann, S. Zou, A. ter Halle, A. M. Giovannozzi, A. Sacco, M. Fadda, M. Putzu, D.-H. Im, N. Nhlapo, P. Carrillo-Barragán, N. Schmidt, D. Herzke, A. Gomiero, A. Jaén-Gil, D. J. E. Cabanes, M. Doedt, V. Cardoso, A. Schmitz, M. Hawly, H. Mo, J. Jacquin, A. Mechlinski, G. A. Adediran, J. Andrade, S. Muniategui-Lorenzo, A. Ramsperger, M. G. J. Löder, C. Laforsch, T. C. Velickovic, D. Fabbri, I. Coralli, S. Federici, B. M. Scholz-Böttcher, J. la Nasa, G. Biale, C. Rauert, E. D. Okoffo, A. Undas, L. An, V. Wachtendorf, P. Fengler, and K. Altmann, Interlaboratory Comparison Reveals State of the Art in Microplastic Detection and Quantification Methods, Anal. Chem. 2025, 97, 8719−8728.
P. Bruce-Vanderpuije, Y. A. Agadzi, I. C. Norvimagbe, R. Asmah, L. Hildebrandt, D. Pröfrock, R. Ebinghaus, K. A. Asante, Microplastics in the lower Volta Basin, Ghana - Quantitation and fish dietary exposure assessment using advanced spectroscopic techniques, Chemosphere, Volume 375, 2025, 144236.
D. Bedulina, Š. Korez Lupše, L. Hildebrandt, Y. Duan, O. Klein, S. Primpke, C. Bock, S. Krause, S. Czichon, D. Pröfrock, G. Gerdts, G. Lannig, Effect of particles from wind turbine blades erosion on blue mussels Mytilus edulis, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 957, 2024, 177509.
F. Menger, M. Römerscheid, S. Lips, O. Klein, D. Nabi, J. Gandrass, H. Joerss, K. Wendt-Potthoff, D. Bedulina, T. Zimmermann, M. Schmitt-Jansen, C. Huber, A. Böhme, N. Ulrich, A. J. Beck, D. Pröfrock, E. P. Achterberg, A. Jahnke, L. Hildebrandt, Screening the release of chemicals and microplastic particles from diverse plastic consumer products into water under accelerated UV weathering conditions, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 470, 2024, 13525
J. Codrington, A. A. Varnum, L. Hildebrandt, D. Pröfrock, J. Bidhan, K. Khodamoradi, A.-L. Höhme, M. Held, A. Evans, D. Velasquez, C. C. Yarborough, B. Ghane-Motlagh, A. Agarwal, J. Achua, E. Pozzi, F. Mesquita, F. Petrella, D. Miller and R. Ramasamy, Detection of microplastics in the human penis, International Journal of Impotence Research (Nature), 2024
J. Süssmann, E. K. Fischer, L. Hildebrandt, E. Walz, R. Greiner, S. Rohn, J. Fritsche, The application of Nile red-staining for detecting and characterising plastic-suspect particles in the edible part of seafood products. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2024..
L. Hildebrandt, M. Fischer, O. Klein, T. Zimmermann, F. Fensky, A. Siems, A. Zonderman, E. Hengstmann, T. Kirchgeorg, D. Pröfrock, An analytical strategy for challenging members of the microplastic family: Particles from anti-corrosion coatings, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 470, 2024, 134173.
J. Hansen, L. Hildebrandt, T. Zimmermann, F. El Gareb, E. Fischer, D. Pröfrock, Quantification and characterization of microplastics in filtration samples from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using Laser Direct Infrared Imaging, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2023, 114880.
L. Hildebrandt, T. Zimmermann, D. Pröfrock, Laser microdissection pressure catapulting (LMPC): a technique to handle single microplastic particles for number-based validation strategies. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2023.
L. Hildebrandt, F. El Gareb, T. Zimmermann, O. Klein, A. Kerstan, K.-C. Emeis, D. Pröfrock, Spatial Distribution of Microplastics in the Tropical Indian Ocean Based on Laser Direct Infrared Imaging and Microwave-Assisted Matrix Digestion. Environmental Pollution, 2022, 119547.
L. Hildebrandt, F. Nack, T. Zimmermann, F. El Gareb, D. Pröfrock, Mikroplastik als Trojanisches Pferd für Spurenmetalle. Mitt Umweltchem Ökotox, 2022, Jahrg. 2022/ Nr.1.
L. Hildebrandt, F. Nack, T. Zimmermann, D. Pröfrock, Microplastics as a Trojan horse for trace metals. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters, 2021, 100035.
L. Hildebrandt, T. Zimmermann, S. Primpke, D. Fischer, G. Gerdts, D. Pröfrock, Comparison and uncertainty evaluation of two centrifugal separators for microplastic sampling. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 414, 2021, 125482.
L. Hildebrandt, D. Mitrano, T. Zimmermann, D. Pröfrock, A Nanoplastic Sampling and Enrichment Approach by Continuous Flow Centrifugation. Frontiers in Environmental Science 2020, 8, (89).
L. Hildebrandt, M. von der Au, T. Zimmermann, A. Reese, J. Ludwig, D. Pröfrock, A metrologically traceable protocol for the quantification of trace metals in different types of microplastic. PLOS ONE 2020, 15, e023612.
L. Hildebrandt, F. El Gareb, O. Klein, K.-C. Emeis, T. Zimmermann, A. Kerstan, D. Pröfrock, Fast, Automated Microplastics Analysis Using Laser Direct Chemical Imaging - Characterizing and quantifying microplastics in water samples from marine environments. Application Note - Environmental - Water analysis 2020. Agilent Technologies.
L. Hildebrandt, N. Voigt, T. Zimmermann, A. Reese, D. Pröfrock, Evaluation of continuous flow centrifugation as an alternative technique to sample microplastic from water bodies. Marine Environmental Research 2019, 151, 104768.
S. Lechthaler, L. Hildebrandt, G. Stauch, H. Schüttrumpf, Canola oil extraction in conjunction with a plastic free separation unit optimizes microplastics monitoring in water and sediment. Analytical Methods 2020, 12, (42), 5128-5139.
C. Lorenz, L. Roscher, M. S. Meyer, L. Hildebrandt, J. Prume, M. G. J. Löder, S. Primpke, G. Gerdts, Spatial distribution of microplastics in sediments and surface waters of the southern North Sea. Environmental Pollution 2019, 252, 1719-1729.
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