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Detection of Microplastic Waste by Using a Novel Microfluidic System with an Integrated Object Tracking Algorithm
Summary
Researchers developed a novel microfluidic system integrated with an object tracking algorithm to detect and distinguish microplastics from other materials in water, using multiple microchannel designs fabricated from PDMS microchips. The system demonstrated the ability to observe microplastic flow and deformation behaviour within microchannels, providing a new platform for automated microplastic detection and characterization.
Over the last couple of decades, microplastics, MPs, have become a large focus for pollution evaluation and sustainability. Water has become increasingly concentrated with MPs due to waste disposal and degradation over time. This project's goal is to detect and distinguish microplastics from other materials using a novelty microfluidic design. Analysis was done using multiple novel microchannel designs and Polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS, microchips. An object tracking algorithm, OT, was used to observe MPs and record flow through the microchannel. Footage tested on the microchips with the OT found that the varying pixel area shows the deformation of a microplastic under the chosen parameters.