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Nile Red Carbon Dot–embedded Strips for Microplastic Detection in Food Commodities: Development and Evaluation
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Researchers created glowing carbon particles made with a dye called Nile Red and coated them onto paper strips to detect plastic bits (microplastics) in food. When tested on milk, juice, and cheese samples spiked with two common plastics, the strips showed a visible color change, detecting plastic levels as low as 100 parts per million.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants increasingly detected in food matrices, raising concerns about human exposure. Rapid, sensitive, and matrix-tolerant detection methods are needed to monitor MPs in consumables. This study reports the synthesis and characterization of Nile Red carbon dots and their application in paper-based detection strips for identifying low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics in food. LDPE and PP standards were prepared and confirmed using fluorescence microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Selected food matrices, including milk, juice, and cheese, were artificially spiked with MPs, and detection was performed via Nile Red carbon dot–coated strips. Nile Red carbon dots exhibited strong red fluorescence under green-light excitation, excitation-independent photoluminescence, and uniform nanoscale morphology as confirmed by UV–visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The paper-based strips demonstrated sensitive, rapid visual screening method of MPs at 100 ppm across all food matrices, with clear differentiation between spiked and blank samples. The platform offers a low-cost, rapid, and portable approach for microplastic screening in diverse foods and may support future standardization of MP detection methods.
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Characterization of Nile Red-Stained Microplastics through Fluorescence Spectroscopy
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This study tested a method for detecting microplastics using a fluorescent dye called Nile Red, which makes plastic particles glow under certain light. The researchers found that different types of plastic produce distinct glow patterns, which could help scientists identify what kind of plastic they are looking at. Better detection tools like this are important for tracking microplastic contamination in the environment and understanding human exposure.
Staining Strategies for the Fluorescence Detection of Nano-Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed fluorescence-based staining strategies for detecting nano- and microplastics, comparing the widely used dye Nile Red against emerging alternatives such as carbon dots and conjugated polymer nanoparticles, and evaluating the advantages and limitations of each approach for visual identification.
Staining Strategies for the Fluorescence Detection of Nano-Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed fluorescence-based detection strategies for nano- and microplastics, comparing organic dyes — particularly Nile Red — with emerging fluorescent nanoparticles such as carbon dots, and assessed how staining characteristics, selectivity, and imaging modality affect detection reliability across environmental and biological matrices.
Staining Strategies for the Fluorescence Detection of Nano-Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed fluorescence-based staining strategies for detecting nano- and microplastics, comparing conventional organic dyes such as Nile Red against emerging alternatives like carbon dots and conjugated polymer nanoparticles, and assessed their respective strengths and limitations for visual identification workflows.
Colorimetric and fluorescent probes based on carbon dots: for visual detection of different types of microplastics
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This study applied remote sensing techniques to detect ocean plastic accumulations off the South African coast, using satellite imagery to identify surface plastic concentrations. The research demonstrates the feasibility of satellite-based plastic monitoring in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean convergence zone.
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