Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Deep convolutional neural networks for aged microplastics identification by Fourier transform infrared spectra classification

This study developed a deep learning model using convolutional neural networks to automatically identify aged microplastics from their infrared spectra. Aging changes the chemical signature of plastics, making them harder to identify with conventional spectral databases. The AI approach achieved high accuracy and could significantly speed up the analysis of environmental samples where weathered microplastics are the norm.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Leveraging deep learning for automatic recognition of microplastics (MPs) via focal plane array (FPA) micro-FT-IR imaging

Researchers developed PlasticNet, a deep learning neural network for identifying microplastics in environmental samples using infrared imaging, achieving over 95% accuracy across 11 common plastic types. The study demonstrates that this approach overcomes challenges posed by surface modifications and additives that make conventional spectral classification difficult.

2023 Environmental Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

PlasticNet: Deep Learning for Automatic Microplastic Recognition via FT-IR Spectroscopy

Researchers developed PlasticNet, a deep learning algorithm that automatically identifies microplastic types from infrared spectral data, outperforming conventional library matching approaches. Automating microplastic identification could dramatically speed up the analysis of environmental samples and reduce human error.

2021 Journal of Computational Vision and Imaging Systems 12 citations
Article Tier 2

SpectraNet: A unified deep learning framework for infrared spectroscopy-based prediction of plastic recyclability, type classification, and microplastic identification

Researchers built SpectraNet, a deep learning framework using mid-infrared spectroscopy to perform three tasks—plastic recyclability assessment, polymer type classification, and microplastic identification—supported by an open-access infrared spectral database of plastics and microplastics.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastics using a convolutional neural network based on micro-Raman spectroscopy

Researchers combined micro-Raman spectroscopy with a neural network to identify microplastics, achieving over 99% accuracy across 10 different plastic types. The system was also tested on real environmental samples and performed well at classifying unknown particles. This AI-powered approach could make microplastic identification faster and more reliable for environmental monitoring.

2023 Talanta 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Spectroscopic Identification of Environmental Microplastics

Scientists developed a machine learning classifier that identifies the chemical type of environmental microplastic samples from spectral data with over 97% accuracy, even for samples from unknown sources. Automated spectral identification tools are critical for scaling up microplastic monitoring across large environmental datasets.

2021 IEEE Access 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of representative convolutional neural network based models for microplastic spectral identification

Researchers developed more representative convolutional neural network (CNN) models for microplastic spectral identification by training on expanded spectral databases that include greater diversity of plastic types, aging stages, secondary additives, pigments, and environmental contamination, outperforming library-search methods in classification accuracy and speed.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Development of a machine‐learning model for microplastic analysis in an FT‐IR microscopy image

Researchers developed a machine-learning model using a 1D convolutional neural network to classify FT-IR microscopy spectra of microplastics into 16 polymer types. The model addresses inaccuracies caused by secondary materials on real environmental samples, improving the speed and reliability of automated microplastic identification.

2024 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Classifying polymers with mid-IR spectra and machine learning: From monitoring to detection

Researchers applied machine learning to mid-infrared spectra to automatically classify different types of plastic polymers found in the environment. Accurate polymer identification is essential for microplastic research, and this automated approach could improve monitoring efficiency and data consistency across studies.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine learning outperforms humans in microplastic characterization and reveals human labelling errors in FTIR data

Researchers developed a small but powerful neural network that can identify microplastic types from infrared spectroscopy data more accurately than human experts. The AI model classified 16 different categories of microplastics and even revealed errors in human-labeled data. This technology could dramatically speed up microplastic analysis in environmental and health studies, making it easier to understand the scale and types of microplastic contamination people are exposed to.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of representative convolutional neural network based models for microplastic spectral identification

Researchers developed eight convolutional neural network (CNN) models for microplastic spectral classification — including LeNet, AlexNet, VGG16, and ResNet34 variants — trained on a comprehensive dataset of self-collected and publicly sourced infrared spectra covering virgin and environmentally weathered plastics with varying thicknesses, aging stages, and additives to improve robustness across research contexts.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Development of robust models for rapid classification of microplastic polymer types based on near infrared hyperspectral images

Researchers used near-infrared hyperspectral imaging combined with machine learning to classify nine types of microplastic particles, finding reliable results even for small particles on wet filters. This method could enable faster, automated identification of diverse microplastic types in environmental water samples.

2021 Analytical Methods 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Spectral Classification of Large-Scale Blended (Micro)Plastics Using FT-IR Raw Spectra and Image-Based Machine Learning

Researchers developed and compared four machine learning classifiers for identifying microplastic types from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data using large-scale blended plastic datasets. The study found that a 1D convolutional neural network achieved the best overall accuracy at over 97%, outperforming decision tree and random forest models, offering a scalable alternative to traditional library-search methods for microplastic identification.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Convolutional neural network for soil microplastic contamination screening using infrared spectroscopy

Researchers trained a convolutional neural network on visible-near-infrared spectra to classify soil samples by degree of microplastic contamination, using concentrations from industrial areas around metropolitan Sydney as a baseline. The model accurately identified uncontaminated samples and improved classification of highly contaminated samples as the number of contamination classes increased, with transfer learning further enhancing performance.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 127 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in the Arctic marine environment: database of IR spectra and its analysis by machine learning methods

Researchers compiled a database of infrared spectra from microplastic particles collected in the Arctic marine environment and applied machine learning methods to automate polymer identification, addressing the labor-intensive nature of manual spectral analysis. They developed and evaluated ML classification models using real environmental polymer spectra to improve the speed and scalability of microplastic chemical characterization in polar research.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Automatic classification of microplastics and natural organic matter mixtures using a deep learning model

Researchers developed a deep learning model using a convolutional neural network with spatial attention to classify microplastics mixed with natural organic matter from Raman spectra. The model achieved 99.54% accuracy compared to just 31.44% from conventional spectral library software, demonstrating that AI-based approaches can dramatically improve microplastic identification accuracy while reducing the need for time-intensive preprocessing steps.

2023 Water Research 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of Polymers with a Small Data Set of Mid-infrared Spectra: A Comparison between Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models

Researchers compared multiple machine learning and deep learning models for identifying polymer types from mid-infrared spectral data using a small reference dataset, finding that certain deep learning architectures outperformed traditional methods even with limited training examples, supporting automated microplastic identification.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 19 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparison of machine learning techniques for the detection of microplastics

This German-language study compared machine learning algorithms for classifying microplastics based on their infrared spectra, finding that several methods could reliably distinguish polymer types. Automating microplastic identification through machine learning could greatly increase the speed and throughput of environmental monitoring.

2020 reposiTUm (TU Wien)
Article Tier 2

A new approach to classifying polymer type of microplastics based on Faster-RCNN-FPN and spectroscopic imagery under ultraviolet light

Scientists developed an AI-based method using UV light photography to automatically identify and classify different types of microplastics, achieving 86-88% accuracy. This approach is faster and cheaper than traditional lab analysis methods that require expensive equipment. Better detection tools like this are essential for understanding how widespread microplastic contamination really is in coastal environments where people live and eat seafood.

2024 Scientific Reports 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of marine microplastics by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy: 1-Dimensional convolutional neural network and continuous convolutional model

Researchers investigated using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy combined with deep learning models to identify six types of marine microplastics. A continuous convolution neural network model achieved 99.5% classification accuracy, outperforming a standard 1D convolutional network at 97.5%. The approach offers a faster and less expensive alternative to traditional FTIR and Raman spectroscopy methods for microplastic identification.

2025 Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Hybrid deep learning framework for environmental microplastic classification: Integrating CNN-based spectral feature extraction and transformer models

Researchers developed a hybrid deep learning framework combining convolutional and attention-based architectures to classify environmental microplastics from FTIR spectra, achieving improved accuracy on weathered and contaminated samples that challenge conventional spectral library approaches.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

FTIR-Based Microplastic Classification: A Comprehensive Study on Normalization and ML Techniques

Researchers tested machine learning and deep learning techniques for classifying six common types of microplastics using infrared spectroscopy data. They found that using broader spectral ranges and certain normalization techniques significantly improved classification accuracy. The study demonstrates that automated identification of microplastic types is feasible and could speed up environmental monitoring efforts.

2025 Recycling 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Deep learning-powered efficient characterization and quantification of microplastics

Researchers developed an artificial intelligence framework that uses deep learning to automatically identify and quantify microplastics from infrared spectra and visual images. The system achieved high accuracy in classifying plastic types and counting particles, dramatically reducing the time needed compared to manual analysis. This tool could make large-scale microplastic monitoring faster and more consistent across different research laboratories.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine learning based workflow for (micro)plastic spectral reconstruction and classification

A machine learning pipeline combining two spectral reconstruction models with four classification algorithms can identify microplastic polymer types from spectral data with up to 98% accuracy on processed spectra. Applied to real environmental samples, the best model achieved 71% top-one accuracy and over 90% top-three accuracy. Automated, high-accuracy microplastic identification tools are critical for scaling up environmental monitoring and making large-scale surveys practical.

2024 Chemosphere 3 citations