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Enhanced optical fiber sensing of microplastics using a WCrO 3 coated tapered geometry
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Scientists have developed a highly sensitive fiber-optic sensor coated with a special material (WCrO3) that can detect tiny plastic particles, potentially even in seafood. In lab-based computer simulations, the sensor showed strong sensitivity to microplastics, which matters because these particles are increasingly found in the food we eat and their health effects are still being studied. While promising, this is early-stage research based on simulations and modeling, so real-world testing is still needed before it could be used to routinely check seafood safety.
Abstract Ensuring seafood safety from microplastics (MPs) contamination has emerged as a significant concern in environmental and public health monitoring. Different SPR techniques have been used for MPs detection but fiber-based designs with advanced sensing materials are not widely developed for real time detection. To address this need, we propose a highly sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)–based optical fiber sensor incorporating a novel WCrO 3 sensing layer for the detection of microplastics. The chosen sensing layer offers exceptional dielectric properties, a tunable bandgap, structural stability, and strong adsorption characteristics which make it suitable for MPs detection. Finite Element Method (FEM)-based simulations were performed to analyze the SPR spectrum by considering the essential performance metrics such as electric field distribution, modal loss, resonance wavelength shift, and sensitivity. The proposed sensor demonstrates a high refractive index sensitivity of 7112 nm RIU −1 . This study also provides a first-principles (DFT) investigation to examine the optical properties and adsorption behavior of ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) which is the fundamental unit of polyethylene microplastics as a representative probe molecule on the WCrO 3 (110) surface. Finding reveals that the structural stability of the WCrO 3 monolayer was maintained after adsorption of microplastic with no significant distortions observed, validating WCrO 3 as a promising biosensing layer for MPs detection. This work establishes WCrO 3 -coated SPR fibers as a scalable platform for seafood safety monitoring.
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Scientists have developed a cheap, fast sensor made from a specially coated optical fiber that can detect tiny traces of polyethylene—one of the most common plastics found in water—at extremely low levels. This matters because microplastics in our water supply are hard to detect with current tools, and better, more affordable detection methods could help researchers and water treatment facilities track contamination before it reaches our drinking water and bodies. While this is a promising step for monitoring technology, more research is needed to test it in real-world water sources beyond the lab.
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Researchers simulated three optical waveguide sensor designs for detecting microplastics in water and found that C-shaped fiber geometry achieved the highest sensitivity, about 2.8 times greater than D-shaped or rectangular designs. Greater exposure of the sensor core to the surrounding water increased the light-analyte interaction responsible for detection.
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Researchers developed a low-cost gold-coated single-multi-single (SMS) optical fiber sensor for in situ detection of polyethylene microplastics in water, using light interactions at the fiber-microplastic interface to correlate transmittance spectra with microplastic concentration. Gold deposition on the sensing region via sputtering improved sensor sensitivity and reliability, enabling real-time microplastic monitoring in aquatic environments.
Optical sensing of microplastics using advanced nanomaterials: a comprehensive review.
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Microplastics are tiny plastic particles found almost everywhere, and scientists still struggle to detect them accurately. This review summarizes new detection methods that use special nanomaterials paired with light-based techniques to spot microplastics faster and more precisely. While promising, these tools still need more real-world testing before they can reliably assess microplastic risks to our health.
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Scientists have built a super-sensitive sensor that can detect tiny plastic particles (as small as 1/500th the width of a human hair) in water, using a laser and fiber-optic technology instead of expensive lab equipment. This matters because nanoplastics are increasingly found in our water, food, and even bodies, but until now they've been hard to detect and measure quickly outside a specialized lab—this tool could make on-the-spot testing of drinking water and other sources far more practical.
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