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Portable On-Site Optical Detection and Quantification of Microplastics
Summary
Researchers built a portable, on-site optical device to detect and quantify microplastics in water. The device addresses the challenge of detecting small, often translucent particles without a laboratory setting. Portable microplastic detection tools could enable real-time monitoring in the field, supporting faster environmental assessments.
Microplastic pollution is a rapidly increasing concern around the globe as microplastic (MP) particles have been found to have detrimental effects on people, marine life, and the environment. MPs are difficult to detect due to their small size (1μm-5mm) and are often translucent in nature. As environmentalists begin to tackle this issue and eventually promote monitoring and filtering of public waters, the first obstacle is overcoming the challenges in detecting and quantifying MPs. This report describes a process designed to achieve real-time detection and quantification of microplastic pollution in bodies of water; a method to assist with MP pollution mitigation efforts. The major benefits of the device designed are the portability, cost effectiveness, ability to quantify MPs in a water sample in real time, and simplicity.