Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Optimizing microplastic analysis through comparative FTIR and raman spectroscopy: Addressing challenges in environmental degradation studies

This study optimized microplastic analysis by comparing FTIR and Raman spectroscopy approaches for identifying degraded polymer particles in environmental samples where photooxidation and mechanical fragmentation have altered spectral signatures. A combined spectroscopy approach outperformed either technique alone for accurately identifying degraded microplastics in complex environmental matrices.

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

Optimizing microplastic analysis through comparative FTIR and raman spectroscopy: Addressing challenges in environmental degradation studies

Researchers compared FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for analyzing degraded microplastic polymers in environmental samples, evaluating how polymer aging affects identification accuracy. The study found that spectral databases based on pristine polymers can misidentify weathered microplastics, calling for updated reference libraries.

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

Analytical tools in advancing microplastics research for identification and quantification across environmental media: from sample to insight

Researchers reviewed the analytical tools most commonly used for identifying and quantifying microplastics, focusing on FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as the two primary methods. The review compared their strengths and limitations and provided guidance for choosing between them based on particle size, sample matrix, and research objectives.

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

Characterization of microplastics in environment by thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Researchers developed a method combining thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify and quantify microplastics in environmental samples, demonstrating that the combined temperature profiles and absorption spectra provide greater discriminatory power than either technique alone.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights Into Microplastics Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystem: a Short Review of Sampling and Analysis Methods

This review summarizes current methods for sampling and analyzing microplastics in rivers and estuaries, including techniques like FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for polymer identification. The authors highlight the need for standardized sampling and analysis methods to ensure that microplastic data across different studies are reliable and comparable.

2024 Jurnal Teknologi 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of fluorescent microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for analysis of microplastics in Can Gio seawater

Researchers validated the combined use of fluorescent microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for detecting and identifying microplastics in marine environmental samples. The dual-technique approach improved detection sensitivity and chemical identification accuracy compared to either method used alone.

2024 Journal of Science and Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for the Quantification of Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment

Microplastics from North Sea surface waters were analyzed by both Raman and FTIR spectroscopy across two size fractions, with automated Raman quantifying approximately twice as many particles ≤500 μm as FTIR imaging, but similar results for larger particles. The comparison study identifies key trade-offs between the two techniques and demonstrates that method choice significantly affects microplastic abundance estimates.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 448 citations
Article Tier 2

Contributions of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in microplastic pollution research: A review

This review covers advances in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques — including chemical imaging — for identifying polymer types in microplastic samples and tracing their fate in different environmental matrices.

2020 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 480 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of environmental microplastics by vibrational microspectroscopy: FTIR, Raman or both?

This study reviewed analytical methods for environmental microplastic analysis using vibrational microspectroscopy — comparing FTIR, Raman, and related techniques — and provided guidance on method selection for different sample types and research questions.

2016 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 975 citations
Article Tier 2

Combination of Micro‐Raman and Infrared Spectroscopy to Identify Intriguing Case of Aged Microplastics of Estuarine Sediments

Researchers used a combination of Raman and infrared spectroscopy to identify aged microplastics in mangrove sediments near Santos, Brazil, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The dual-technique approach was able to identify not only the plastic polymers but also chemical additives like blue ink and green dye embedded in the particles. The study demonstrates how combining analytical methods improves the accuracy of microplastic identification in complex environmental samples.

2024 Macromolecular Symposia 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics of a broad size range in commercially important mussels by combining FTIR and Raman spectroscopy approaches

Researchers developed an approach combining FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to analyze microplastics across a broad size range in commercially important mussels. They found that using both techniques together captured a wider spectrum of particle sizes and polymer types than either method alone. The study provides a more complete picture of microplastic contamination in seafood and highlights the importance of using complementary analytical methods for accurate assessment.

2020 Environmental Pollution 139 citations
Article Tier 2

The development of an analytical procedure for the determination of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers developed an improved analytical procedure for detecting and identifying microplastics in freshwater environments. The method combines careful sample preparation with advanced instrumental techniques like infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The study highlights the importance of standardized methods to ensure that microplastic measurements across different studies are reliable and comparable.

2024 Analytical Methods 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Promising techniques and open challenges for microplastic identification and quantification in environmental matrices

This review assessed current and emerging techniques for microplastic identification and quantification in environmental matrices, highlighting advantages and limitations of methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS.

2019 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced analytical techniques for microplastics in the environment: a review

Researchers reviewed the most advanced laboratory tools for detecting and identifying microplastics in environmental samples — including infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis gas chromatography — summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of each technique to help researchers choose the right method for accurate microplastic analysis.

2023 Bulletin of the National Research Centre/Bulletin of the National Research Center 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning for Microplastics Identification and Classification in Water Environments

Researchers combined Raman spectroscopy with machine learning algorithms for automated identification and classification of microplastics in water environments, achieving high accuracy in distinguishing different polymer types based on spectral fingerprints.

2022 IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of μ-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and py-GCMS as identification tools for microplastic particles and fibers isolated from river sediments

Researchers compared two identification methods — micro-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC-MS — for characterizing microplastics extracted from river sediments, finding that the methods generally agreed on dominant polymers but differed in sensitivity to certain types. The comparison provides practical guidance for choosing analytical methods in freshwater microplastic monitoring programs.

2018 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 286 citations
Article Tier 2

Harmonizing infrared spectroscopic techniques for microplastic identification: a comparative evaluation of ATR and µFTIR transmission and reflection modes

Researchers systematically compared the performance of Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (muFTIR) in both transmission and reflection modes for identifying microplastics from twelve common real-world plastic products, providing guidance on optimizing spectroscopic technique selection.

2025
Article Tier 2

Optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy with simultaneously acquired Raman spectroscopy for two-dimensional microplastic identification

Researchers demonstrated that optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy combined with simultaneous Raman acquisition enables more reliable two-dimensional microplastic identification, overcoming limitations of individual FTIR or Raman techniques alone.

2022 Scientific Reports 109 citations
Article Tier 2

An investigation on the applications of advanced Infrared Spectroscopy, Spectral Imaging and Machine Learning for Polymer Characterization, including microplastics

This study integrated advanced infrared spectroscopy, spectral imaging, chemometrics, and machine learning to identify and characterize microplastics and polymer degradation products. The combination of techniques improved both the accuracy and throughput of MP analysis compared to conventional methods.

2025 Research Repository UCD (University College Dublin)
Article Tier 2

Sequential quantification of number and mass of microplastics in municipal wastewater using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Researchers developed a sequential analytical method combining FTIR microscopy and pyrolysis-GC/MS to identify and quantify microplastics in municipal wastewater samples, with FTIR providing polymer type and physical dimensions and Pyr-GC/MS providing chemical composition. The combined approach improves accuracy compared to using either method alone.

2023 Environmental Pollution 21 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of weathering environments on microplastic chemical identification with Raman and IR spectroscopy: Part I. polyethylene and polypropylene

Researchers compared Raman and IR spectroscopy for identifying weathered polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics, finding that weathering significantly alters surface chemistry and that Raman spectroscopy is more robust for identifying heavily weathered samples than IR spectroscopy.

2022 Polymer Testing 121 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel method for purification, quantitative analysis and characterization of microplastic fibers using Micro-FTIR

Researchers developed an improved method for purifying, quantifying, and characterizing microplastic fibers using micro-FTIR spectroscopy, addressing the challenge that fibers are harder to process and identify than other microplastic shapes. The method improvements enable more accurate characterization of this common but technically challenging category of environmental microplastics.

2019 Chemosphere 191 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of new analysis methods for simultaneous and rapid identification of five different microplastics using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Researchers developed and evaluated ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis for simultaneous rapid identification of five common microplastic polymer types in water samples. The method achieved high classification accuracy across polymer types, offering a faster and more automated alternative to conventional single-polymer identification approaches.

2024 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical and Detection Techniques for Microplastics

This chapter reviewed analytical and detection techniques for microplastics across environmental matrices, covering sampling strategies, separation methods, and identification tools including FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, with discussion of their sensitivity, cost, and suitability for different environmental monitoring applications.

2025