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Microplastic Detection Using Dual-Mode Complementary Split-Ring Resonator
Summary
Researchers developed a microplastic detection sensor using dual-mode complementary split-ring resonators operating at 2.45 and 5.8 GHz ISM bands, achieving concentration measurements of polyethylene in water with errors under 3.51% across 0–800 ppm ranges. Accurate, low-cost sensing technology like this is essential for real-time environmental monitoring of microplastic levels in water systems before they reach drinking water supplies.
A microplastic detection method employing two dual-mode complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs), operating separately at the 2.45- and 5.8-GHz ISM bands, is proposed for measuring the concentration of microplastics dispersed in liquid solvents. Each resonator is designed to exhibit simultaneous sensitivity in both reflection and transmission coefficients within its frequency band, responding to variations in the surrounding permittivity. The dual-mode detection mechanism provides enhanced measurement accuracy and robustness, surpassing conventional resonant sensors that are constrained by their reliance on a single resonance parameter or a high-quality factor design. Polyethylene (PE) microplastics dispersed in deionized (DI) water with concentrations ranging from 0 to 800 parts per million (ppm) in increments of 200 ppm were used to experimentally validate the sensor, implemented on FR4 PCBs at each ISM frequency. A first-order polynomial model, based on a weighted summation of resonance frequency shifts observed in transmission and reflection coefficients, was developed for concentration estimation. Using this model, unknown test samples at concentrations of 300 and 500 ppm were successfully measured, demonstrating maximum errors of 3.51% for the 2.45-GHz CSRR and 2.08% for the 5.8-GHz CSRR, with corresponding sensitivities of 0.0766 and 0.862 MHz/ppm, respectively. These results confirm the effectiveness and practical applicability of the proposed sensing approach for reliable microplastic concentration detection.