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Numerical analysis and experimental verification of optical scattering from microplastics
Summary
This study used light scattering modelling (Mie theory) and a low-cost experimental setup to show that the angular pattern of scattered light carries distinct signatures of a microplastic particle's size and refractive index. The method offers a faster, cheaper route to characterising microplastics in water samples, which matters because accurate and scalable detection tools are a key bottleneck in assessing environmental exposure levels.
Accurate and fast characterization of the micron-sized plastic particles in aqueous media requires an in-depth understanding of light interaction with these particles. Due to the complexity of Mie scattering theory, the features of the scattered light have rarely been related to the physical properties of these tiny objects. To address this problem, we reveal the relation of the wavelength-dependent optical scattering patterns with the size and refractive index of the particles by numerically studying the angular scattering features. We subsequently present a low-cost setup to measure the optical scattering of the particles. Theoretical investigation shows that the angular distribution of the scattered light by microplastics carries distinct signatures of the particle size and the refractive index. The results can be used to develop a portable, low-cost setup to detect microplastics in water.