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Microplastics Detection with Microfluidic Near-Field Microwave Sensors
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A new microfluidic sensor integrating a microwave detector was developed that can identify microplastics in water in real time without labelling, by measuring how particles change the dielectric properties of the water flowing through the device. This kind of low-cost, continuous-monitoring sensor could make routine environmental surveillance for microplastic contamination more practical.
This paper reports the development of an innovative Microfluidic-microwave sensor for microplastics detection in water. The sensor integrates a microfluidic channel with a microwave sensor that can measure the dielectric difference between microplastics and the host medium, in this case water. The microwave sensor works by measuring the variations of the reflected signal allowing for real-time and label free microplastics detection. Preliminary finite-element modelling simulations allowed optimizing the microwave sensor’s sensitivity to the presence of microplastics. Experimental results revealed a sensitivity of 40 mdB in the presence of a 0.6 mm diameter microplastic sphere.
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