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Rapid and High‐Resolution Microplastic Detection Technologies: Innovations Toward Sustainable Environmental Monitoring
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This review paper summarizes existing research on methods for detecting tiny plastic particles in the environment. It compares techniques like infrared and Raman light scanning, thermal analysis, fluorescence, and automated imaging, noting their speed, sensitivity, and challenges in identifying very small plastics.
ABSTRACT Microplastic pollution is a ubiquitous ecological stressor, with particles and nanoplastics detected across aquatic, terrestrial, atmospheric, and biological systems. Their diverse polymer composition, size range, and complex environmental matrices necessitate rapid, sensitive, and high‐resolution analytical approaches for reliable monitoring. This review critically evaluates recent advances in rapid and high‐resolution microplastic detection, focusing on spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier‐transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, thermal methods including pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, fluorescence‐based approaches, biosensors, and automated imaging systems. Particular emphasis is placed on technological advances that improve detection speed, spatial resolution, sensitivity, automation, miniaturisation, and field deployability. The review further compares the analytical strengths, limitations, and applicability of these approaches across complex environmental matrices and highlights persistent challenges related to sample preparation, matrix interference, nanoplastic detection, polymer identification, spectral databases, and method standardization. By integrating advances across conventional and emerging platforms, this review identifies the transition from laboratory‐intensive analysis towards automated, portable, and high‐throughput monitoring. These developments have the potential to enable timelier and spatially resolved assessment of microplastic contamination, thereby strengthening environmental surveillance, risk assessment, regulatory standardization, and evidence‐based policy development.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.