Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Quantifying UV-Driven Aging of Sub-10 µm Airborne Microplastics with High-Resolution µFTIR-ATR Imaging

Researchers developed a high-resolution micro-FTIR imaging method to quantify UV-driven aging of airborne microplastics smaller than 10 micrometers. The technique overcomes previous limitations in measuring oxidation of PET and other polymers, enabling better characterization of how atmospheric weathering transforms small airborne microplastic particles over time.

2026 Atmosphere
Article Tier 2

Degradation degree analysis of environmental microplastics by micro FT-IR imaging technology

Researchers used micro-FTIR spectral-image fusion to classify the degradation degree of polyethylene microplastics collected from coastal environments, achieving 97.1% classification accuracy and enabling estimation of environmental persistence time from spectral data.

2021 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to Assess the Degree of Alteration of Artificially Aged and Environmentally Weathered Microplastics

Researchers used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to compare the chemical weathering of microplastics collected from an Italian river with artificially aged plastic samples. They found that environmental microplastics showed distinct patterns of chemical degradation that differed from lab-accelerated aging. The study demonstrates how FTIR analysis can serve as a useful tool for assessing how long microplastics have been exposed to environmental conditions.

2023 Polymers 197 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing photochemical ageing processes of microplastic materials using multivariate analysis of infrared spectra

Researchers tracked how four common plastic types weather under UV light and sunlight over six months, using infrared spectroscopy and multivariate analysis to characterize surface chemistry changes. They found that polypropylene weathered fastest, while all plastics showed photooxidation at different rates depending on light source. The study proposes a multivariate spectral approach as a more broadly applicable method than the traditional carbonyl index for assessing microplastic aging.

2021 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 52 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

μ-FTIR Reflectance Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Analysis: A Rapid and Robust Method for Identifying the Extent of Photodegradation on Microplastics

Researchers developed a faster, more sensitive method for identifying weathered microplastics using infrared reflectance spectroscopy combined with statistical analysis. The technique can classify different plastic types and assess their level of sun damage without complex data preprocessing. The approach could improve the speed and accuracy of environmental microplastic monitoring, particularly for particles that have been altered by exposure to sunlight.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of aged microplastics: a review

This review looks at how microplastics change over time in the environment through exposure to sunlight, temperature changes, and biological activity. Aging alters the surface properties of microplastics, which can make them more toxic and change how they interact with other pollutants. Advanced techniques like infrared and Raman spectroscopy are the best current methods for identifying and tracking these aged microplastics in environmental samples.

2024 Environmental Chemistry Letters 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling the Photodegradation of Marine Microplastics by Means of Infrared Spectrometry and Chemometric Techniques

Researchers modeled the photodegradation of polyethylene and polypropylene marine microplastics using infrared spectrometry and chemometric techniques, tracking structural and chemical changes during accelerated UV aging that simulated five years of solar exposure.

2022 Microplastics 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging of microplastics: Effects of chemical and physical processes on spectral signatures and detection capabilities

Researchers evaluated short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging for rapid microplastic detection and polymer identification, testing the effects of various physical and chemical weathering agents on spectral signatures and finding the technique effective for identifying multiple polymer types in complex samples.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering
Article Tier 2

Monitorization of polyamide microplastics weathering using attenuated total reflectance and microreflectance infrared spectrometry

Researchers monitored the weathering of polyamide (nylon) microplastics using attenuated total reflectance and microreflectance infrared spectrometry, finding that natural aging produces spectral changes that can make weathered plastics difficult to identify against standard reference databases.

2021 Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy of Environmentally Weathered Textile Fabrics for Enhanced Microplastic Identification

This study used infrared spectroscopy to identify microplastic fibers from clothing that had been weathered by ocean conditions, finding that environmental aging makes spectral identification more difficult. Accurate detection of these aged fibers is essential for understanding the true scale of textile microplastic pollution in the ocean.

2021
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

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

Identifying Microplastics in Laboratory and Atmospheric Aerosol Mixtures via Optical Photothermal Infrared and Raman Microspectroscopy

Researchers developed optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy methods to identify microplastics in both laboratory-prepared and real atmospheric aerosol samples, demonstrating the technique's ability to distinguish plastic particles from other aerosol components in complex air quality monitoring contexts.

2025 Analytical Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fouling: A gap in knowledge and a research imperative to improve their study by infrared characterization spectroscopy

Researchers analysed 4,042 infrared spectra of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics collected from the Mediterranean Sea using principal component analysis, identifying that spectral variability in weathered marine microplastics is primarily driven by three processes: chemical ageing, organic fouling, and inorganic fouling.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing photochemical ageing processes of microplastic materials using multivariate analysis of infrared spectra

Scientists studied how sunlight breaks down tiny plastic particles (microplastics) that end up in our environment, finding that different types of plastic degrade at very different rates when exposed to UV light. This matters because as these plastics break down and change chemically, they may become better or worse at picking up and carrying harmful chemicals that could eventually reach humans through food and water. The research helps us better understand how long different plastics persist in nature and how their ability to transport pollutants changes over time.

2026 VIUspace
Article Tier 2

Nanoscale infrared, thermal and mechanical properties of aged microplastics revealed by an atomic force microscopy coupled with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) technique

Researchers used atomic force microscopy coupled with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to characterize nanoscale infrared, thermal, and mechanical properties of TiO2-pigmented microplastics before and after aging, finding that weathering roughened surfaces and altered carbonyl and methylene band intensities.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Detecting small microplastics down to 1.3 μm using large area ATR-FTIR

Researchers introduced large-area ATR-FTIR spectroscopy as a new technique capable of detecting microplastics as small as 1.3 micrometers, outperforming conventional micro-FTIR for small particle detection in marine water samples.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Sub-20 μm Microplastic Particles by Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Comparison with Raman Spectroscopy

Researchers compared two spectroscopy techniques for detecting microplastic particles smaller than 20 micrometers. They found that ATR-FTIR was more sensitive for the smallest particles (6 micrometers), while Raman spectroscopy performed better with larger particles. The study also identified spectral patterns that could serve as indicators of particle size, opening new possibilities for quickly classifying microplastic populations without time-consuming imaging.

2023 ACS Omega 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Raman Spectral Imaging for the Detection of Inhalable Microplastics in Ambient Particulate Matter Samples

Researchers developed a filter-based sampling method compatible with Raman spectral imaging to detect inhalable-sized microplastics in ambient air samples. They successfully identified and mapped plastic particles as small as a few micrometers on sampling filters. The study provides a practical new analytical approach for measuring airborne microplastic exposure, an area where reliable detection methods have been lacking.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 143 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastics in landfill leachate: An underestimated tiny microplastics using Focal Plane Array (FPA)-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) imaging

Using advanced imaging-based infrared analysis, researchers detected up to 100 times more microplastics in landfill leachate than conventional methods had previously found — revealing that tiny particles between 10 and 100 micrometers are massively underestimated. Studying 13 landfills across China, they found that microplastic concentrations in the liquid runoff from landfills peak around 15 years of age, then decline as the landfill matures. The findings suggest that leachate from mid-age landfills is a major, underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering soils and waterways.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

IdentifyingMicroplastics in Laboratory and AtmosphericAerosol Mixtures via Optical Photothermal Infrared and Raman Microspectroscopy

This study applied optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy to identify microplastics in atmospheric aerosol mixtures, demonstrating that the technique can distinguish plastic particles by polymer type in complex air samples relevant to understanding human inhalation exposure to airborne MPs.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Development of a rapid detection protocol for microplastics using reflectance-FTIR spectroscopic imaging and multivariate classification

Reflectance-FTIR spectroscopy was evaluated as a faster and more automated detection method for microplastics in environmental samples, with results showing strong potential for high-throughput screening. The method could reduce the time and cost of routine microplastic monitoring programs.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 23 citations
Article Tier 2

CombiningSubmicronSpectroscopy Techniques (AFM-IRand O‑PTIR) To Detect and Quantify Microplastics and Nanoplasticsin Snow from a Utah Ski Resort

Researchers applied atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy to detect and quantify sub-micron plastic particles in snow samples from a Utah ski resort, finding a concentration of 0.15 micrograms per milliliter of a biodegradable copolyester with 96 percent of particles having thicknesses below 1 micrometer and the smallest particle recorded at 14 nanometers. The study demonstrates the power of paired submicron spectroscopy techniques for nanoplastic characterization in environmental matrices where conventional methods fail.

2025 Figshare