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Monitoring plastic pellet pollution in coastal environments through handheld Raman spectroscopy: Data from the Mediterranean coasts (Southern Italy).
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Handheld Raman spectroscopy was used to identify and chemically characterize plastic pellets (nurdles) washed ashore on coasts of southern Italy. The study documented the distribution of different polymer types along the coast and showed that portable Raman devices can enable rapid, low-cost field identification of plastic pollution on beaches.
This paper examines the distribution and chemical properties of beached plastic pellets along the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts of Southern Italy. Three locations have been sampled: Agnone Bagni (SR) and Paradiso (ME) on the Ionian coast of Sicily, Baia del Tono in Milazzo (ME) on the Sicilian Tyrrhenian coast, and Pizzo Calabro (VV) in Calabria on the Tyrrhenian coast. Variations in shape, size, compactness, color, and other physical features, correlated with residence times and transport, has been highlighted. Raman spectroscopy, used in a portable configuration, enabled rapid identification of polymer types, demonstrating its utility for on-site plastic pollutant monitoring. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the predominant polymers. Principal component analysis of the spectra determined the optimal chemometric classification of pellets by composition, avoiding interference or distortion. In conclusion, the study provided preliminary insights into pellet abundance, composition, weathering extent, and distribution across these shorelines, underscoring the importance of regular beach monitoring.
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Researchers sampled large microplastics on three Mediterranean beaches within the Pelagos Sanctuary over one year, finding that more urbanized beaches had higher contamination and that abundance varied seasonally. Portable Raman spectroscopy was successfully used for on-site polymer identification, offering a faster field method.
The comparative study by Raman spectroscopy of the plastic tide in the three ports of the Mediterranean Sea
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Researchers used Raman spectroscopy to characterise marine microplastic pollution in field studies conducted at four locations within three Mediterranean Sea ports along the French coast during the autumn season. The study identified the polymer composition, size distribution, and colour characteristics of beached and waterborne plastic particles, providing baseline data on the 'plastic tide' in these Mediterranean harbours.
Study on Rapid Recognition of Marine Microplastics Based on Raman Spectroscopy
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Researchers developed a rapid identification system for marine microplastics using Raman spectroscopy, enabling quick determination of plastic type and size. Fast, accurate identification tools are critical for monitoring the growing problem of microplastic pollution in ocean environments.
Rapid identification of microplastic using portable Raman system and extra trees algorithm
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Researchers developed a portable Raman spectroscopy system combined with a machine learning algorithm to rapidly identify and classify different types of microplastics in the field. Portable real-time identification tools are important for environmental monitoring programs that need to quickly characterize microplastics without sending samples to a laboratory.
Identification of Marine Plastics using Raman Spectroscopy
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This thesis evaluated Raman spectroscopy as a technology for identifying plastic types in marine environments, showing it can in principle extract chemical fingerprints of microplastics underwater — an important step toward autonomous underwater detection systems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.