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Rapid on-site analysis of soil microplastics using miniaturized NIR spectrometers: Key aspect of instrumental variation
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Researchers tested several handheld near-infrared spectrometers to see if they could quickly identify microplastics in soil samples without extensive lab work. The study found that while these portable devices show promise for rapid on-site screening, the choice of sensor matters significantly since different instruments vary widely in their ability to distinguish between polymer types.
Contamination by microplastics, a global environmental concern, demands effective monitoring. While current methods focus on characterizing the smallest particles, their low throughput hinders practical assessment. Miniaturized near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy offers high-throughput capabilities and rapid on-site analysis, potentially filling this gap. However, diverse sensor characteristics result in significant differences among handheld NIR spectrometers. This study characterizes the analytical performance of these instruments for identifying soil microplastics, comparing miniaturized devices MicroNIR 1700ES, NeoSpectra Scanner, microPHAZIR, nanoFTIR-NIR, NIR-S-G1, and SCiO sensor against a reference benchtop instrument, the NIRFlex N-500. Detection of common polymers, ABS, EVAC, HDPE, LDPE, PA6, PMMA, POM, PET, PS, PTFE, and SBR, at low concentrations (0.75 % w/w) was possible without sample preparation. Sensor selection proved crucial; FT instruments N-500 and NeoSpectra Scanner provided the most accurate analysis, while other handheld instruments faced various challenges. Covariance analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and mid-level data fusion revealed that miniaturized NIR spectrometers can successfully screen microplastics on-site. However, the ability of each sensor to discriminate certain groups of polymers strongly depends on its spectral characteristics. This study demonstrates the importance of sensor selection in the development of portable NIR spectroscopy for environmental monitoring of microplastics.
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Researchers quantified the main sources of spectral variability when using handheld NIR instruments to detect microplastics in soil, finding that polymer identity and mass loading are reliably recoverable signals while particle size effects are largely secondary after scatter correction — but that device-to-device variation between units of the same model can dominate results if not corrected.
High-throughput NIR spectroscopic (NIRS) detection of microplastics in soil
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High-throughput near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was evaluated for detecting and quantifying microplastics in soil samples, finding that it could rapidly identify multiple polymer types without time-consuming sample preparation. The method offers potential for scaling up microplastic monitoring in terrestrial environments where conventional analytical methods are too slow for large sample numbers.
Usability and Usefulness of Portable Analytical Instruments for In-Situ Analysis of Microplastics in Soil
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The usability and usefulness of portable analytical instruments for microplastic identification were evaluated by scientists in field and lab settings. The assessment guides investment decisions for monitoring programs needing on-site plastic analysis capabilities.
Polymer Type Identification of Marine Plastic Litter Using a Miniature Near-Infrared Spectrometer (MicroNIR)
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Researchers tested a miniature near-infrared spectrometer (MicroNIR) for rapidly identifying polymer types in marine plastic litter collected from beaches, finding it could accurately distinguish common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. Low-cost, portable identification tools are important for large-scale monitoring of marine plastic pollution.
Influence of soil types with different soil-forming process on the qualitative and quantitative detection of microplastics by near-infrared spectroscopy
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Scientists tested whether a light-based scanning tool (near-infrared spectroscopy) can reliably detect tiny plastic bits in different types of farm soil, and found that soil type matters a lot. Some soils, like Brown Earth, made it easy to spot even small amounts of microplastics, while others, like Fluvo-aquic Soil, made detection much less accurate. This matters because microplastics in farmland can work their way into the food we eat, and having a fast, reliable way to detect them is a key step toward understanding and reducing that risk to human health.
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