Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Detection of microplastics by microfluidic microwave sensing: An exploratory study

Researchers developed a compact microwave sensor on a microfluidic chip to detect microplastics in water samples. The system works by measuring how the presence of plastic particles changes the electrical properties of water. While the technology shows promise as a rapid and portable detection method, its current sensitivity needs improvement before it can detect the low microplastic concentrations typically found in natural freshwater.

2024 Sensors and Actuators A Physical 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Detection with Microfluidic Near-Field Microwave Sensors

A new microfluidic sensor integrating a microwave detector was developed that can identify microplastics in water in real time without labelling, by measuring how particles change the dielectric properties of the water flowing through the device. This kind of low-cost, continuous-monitoring sensor could make routine environmental surveillance for microplastic contamination more practical.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics detection with microfluidics integrated with a microwave sensor

Researchers developed a microwave sensor integrated with a microfluidic channel for real-time microplastics detection in water, using finite-element simulations to optimize sensitivity and validating performance experimentally. The system achieved a sensitivity of 0.1 dB and detected microplastics as small as 600 micrometers through measurement of reflected signal variations.

2024 Measurement Sensors 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A Microwave-Based Sensing Platform for Microplastic Detection and Quantification: A Machine Learning-Assisted Approach

Researchers developed a low-cost microwave sensor combined with machine learning to detect and quantify microplastics in water and identify polymer types in unknown samples. The platform achieved the highest sensitivity reported among microwave-based approaches for microplastic detection, offering a promising low-cost alternative to spectroscopy-based methods.

2025
Article Tier 2

Size and concentration characterization of microplastic particles in aqueous samples using sensitivity-enhanced coupled planar microwave resonators

Researchers developed a novel microwave sensing platform for real-time detection and characterization of microplastic particles in water samples. The sensor uses an enhanced coupled planar microwave resonator design with a low-cost disposable sample holder, enabling rapid, non-destructive measurement of microplastic particle size and concentration without cross-contamination between tests.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

A Microwave-Based Sensing Platform for Microplastic Detection and Quantification: A Machine Learning-Assisted Approach

Researchers developed a low-cost microwave spiral sensor that can detect and differentiate three common types of microplastic (PTFE, PVC, PET) in water, achieving the highest sensitivity reported for microwave-based approaches and using machine learning to identify unknown polymer types. Affordable, reliable detection tools like this are critical for routine environmental monitoring of microplastic contamination in drinking water and waterways.

2026 IEEE Sensors Journal
Article Tier 2

Passive Disposable Microwave Sensor for Online Microplastic Contamination Monitoring

Researchers developed a passive disposable microwave sensor for online monitoring of microplastic contamination in water, using a sensitivity-enhanced planar dual-resonator tag-reader structure combined with a silicon resonator to enable non-contact concentration measurement.

2022 2022 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium - IMS 2022 19 citations
Article Tier 2

SRR-Based Disposable Microwave-Microfluidic Sensor for Assessing Liquid Carrier Influence on Microplastic Detection

Researchers developed a double split-ring resonator microwave-microfluidic sensor that can detect polyethylene microplastics in various liquid carriers (including agricultural water with dissolved salts), minimizing the effect of liquid composition on detection accuracy.

2025
Article Tier 2

Portable Multichannel Measurement System for Real-Time Microplastics Assessment Using Microwave Sensors

Scientists developed a portable multichannel electronic system that uses microwave sensors to detect microplastics in water in real time, capable of simultaneously reading up to four sensors targeting particles of different sizes. The system combines radio-frequency integrated circuits with signal-conditioning hardware for field-deployable monitoring. This kind of low-cost, portable sensing technology could make routine microplastic screening much more practical at waterways and treatment facilities.

2026 Sensors
Article Tier 2

Based on a size of Microplastics, Multi-Channel Microwave Resonant MEMS Sensor

Researchers designed a multi-channel MEMS sensor that can simultaneously measure the concentration of microplastics and sort them by size using microwave resonance technology. This miniaturized detection approach addresses a key technical challenge in microplastic monitoring — the need for rapid, size-resolved quantification at low concentrations in water.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A Fully Integrated Microplastic Detection SoC with 0.1–3 GHz Bandwidth and 35 dB Dynamic Range for Narrow-Band Notch RF MEMS Sensor System

Engineers developed a miniaturized microwave sensor chip that can detect microplastics in water by measuring shifts in resonant frequency as particles pass through a microfluidic channel, achieving a wide bandwidth and high dynamic range in a compact integrated circuit design. This type of on-chip detection system could enable portable, real-time water quality monitoring for microplastic contamination at a fraction of the cost of laboratory methods.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid Differentiation between Microplastic Particles Using Integrated Microwave Cytometry with 3D Electrodes

Researchers developed a rapid microplastic identification system combining integrated microwave cytometry with 3D electrodes to differentiate single microparticles in the 14–20 micrometer range as they flow through a microfluidic channel. The system demonstrated the ability to distinguish particle types based on dielectric properties, offering a faster and flow-compatible alternative to conventional spectroscopic techniques for environmental microplastic monitoring.

2024 arXiv (Cornell University)
Article Tier 2

RF MEMS Resonance Sensor for Measuring Microplastics Concentration

Researchers designed an RF MEMS resonance sensor capable of detecting microplastics in water at low cost, offering a practical alternative to expensive conventional particle analyzers for environmental monitoring.

2022 2022 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM) 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A Highly Sensitive Microwave Microfluidic Biosensor for Single-Cell Level Detection

This paper is not about microplastics; it presents a microwave biosensor for detecting tiny liquid samples at the single-cell level, with no connection to plastic pollution or environmental health.

2026 IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
Article Tier 2

Development of microfluidic device to monitor the contamination in drinking water using impedance spectroscopy

Researchers developed a microfluidic device using electrical impedance spectroscopy to detect and monitor microplastic particles in drinking water. The device aimed to provide a real-time, sensitive method for MP contamination monitoring at the point of use.

2025
Article Tier 2

A microfluidic approach for label-free identification of small-sized microplastics in seawater

Researchers developed a microfluidic approach for label-free identification of small microplastics in seawater, using impedance-based detection to distinguish different polymer types without chemical labeling, enabling faster and more practical environmental monitoring.

2023 Scientific Reports 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Design and Development of an Advanced Sensor Prototype for the Detection of Microplastics

Researchers designed and developed an advanced sensor prototype for detecting microplastics in water, combining spectroscopic and signal processing technologies into a portable device. The prototype demonstrated accurate microplastic identification across multiple polymer types in field conditions.

2024 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Sub-6 GHz Microwave Sensor Targeting Microplastic Detection

Researchers designed an enhanced sub-6 GHz microwave sensor for low-cost microplastic detection by modifying sensor geometry to better utilize the bandwidth of portable microwave vector network analyzers. Electromagnetic simulations and experimental measurements validated the redesigned sensor, which calibrates resonant frequency as a function of effective permittivity to quantify microplastic concentrations in water.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microfluidic Sensors for Micropollutant Detection in Environmental Matrices: Recent Advances and Prospects

This review covers advances in tiny sensor devices called microfluidic sensors that can detect trace amounts of pollutants including microplastics in water and environmental samples. Better detection tools matter for human health because they enable faster, more accurate monitoring of microplastic contamination in drinking water and food sources.

2025 Biosensors 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of Sub-6 GHz Microwave Sensors Suitable for Low-Cost In-Situ Microplastic Detection

This engineering paper compares the performance of several microwave resonator sensor designs for detecting microplastics in water, motivated by the growing availability of low-cost handheld instruments. Laboratory tests showed meaningful differences in sensitivity between sensor geometries, with one design showing the highest relative frequency shift in response to a nylon sample. While purely technical, such sensor development work is an important step toward affordable, portable microplastic monitoring tools that could be deployed in rivers, tap water systems, or food processing facilities.

2025 1 citations