Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in the Antarctic Coastal Waters Using Laser Direct Infrared (Ldir)

Small microplastics (20–300 µm) across a 36–77°S transect from the Río de la Plata to the Weddell Sea revealed by LDIR imaging

Identification and quantification of microplastics in the Antarctic coastal waters using laser direct infrared (LDIR)

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This was the first study to detect microplastics smaller than 20 µm in Antarctic surface waters near Carlini Station, using Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) spectroscopy. Microplastics were found in all 18 samples at a median abundance of approximately 0.1 particles/L, extending the known size range of Antarctic microplastic contamination.

Micro- and Nanoplastics: Its Impact on Antarctica and Similar Ecosystems

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This review documented the presence and impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in Antarctica, demonstrating that even the most remote continent on Earth is now measurably contaminated by plastic pollution. The findings confirm that microplastics are a truly global pollutant with no geographic refuge, carried by ocean currents and atmospheric transport to ecosystems previously considered pristine.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the Identification of Microplastics Collected from Arabian Sea of Pakistan

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Researchers applied laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with FTIR to identify and characterize microplastic samples collected from the Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan, demonstrating that calibration-free LIBS can reliably distinguish polymer types through elemental analysis of carbon and oxygen content.

Quantification and characterization of microplastics in surface water samples from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using laser direct infrared imaging

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Researchers quantified microplastics in Northeast Atlantic Ocean surface waters using laser direct infrared imaging, detecting particles down to 20 micrometers and revealing microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions across eight sampling locations.