Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Abundance and Composition in Western Lake Superior As Determined via Microscopy, Pyr-GC/MS, and FTIR

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in western Lake Superior surface waters using microscopy, pyrolysis-gas chromatography, and FTIR spectroscopy. Fibers were the most common particle type found, and polyethylene was among the most frequently identified polymers. The study establishes baseline microplastic contamination levels in the Great Lakes and demonstrates the value of combining multiple analytical methods for accurate characterization.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 390 citations
Article Tier 2

Not one-size-fits-all: µ-FTIR and pyrolysis GC-MS for complementary analysis of microplastics in eutrophic surface water.

Researchers applied a combined stereomicroscopy, micro-FTIR, and pyrolysis GC-MS workflow to surface water samples from Lake Victoria, finding polyethylene and polypropylene as dominant polymers by particle count while pyrolysis GC-MS quantified seven additional polymers — including nylons and PET — largely invisible to FTIR, demonstrating the complementary value of both techniques.

2026 Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for detecting and characterizing small microplastics (10-500 micrometers) in different water types using micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The study tested various sample preparation approaches for seawater, freshwater, and wastewater, establishing reliable protocols for rinsing, digestion, and microplastic collection that can be used to assess treatment plant removal efficiency.

2023 Water Research 67 citations
Article Tier 2

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

This review surveys analytical techniques used in microplastic research, covering sampling, extraction, and identification methods including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-GC/MS, highlighting trade-offs between throughput, sensitivity, and particle size detection limits.

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

Analysis of Microplastics and Small Microplastics (<100 ??????m) in Natural Waters via Micro-FTIR

This book chapter discussed using micro-FTIR spectroscopy to detect and quantify microplastics smaller than 100 µm in natural (marine and freshwater) water samples. The authors emphasized the importance of this size class for ecological risk and described practical considerations for accurate quantification.

2025
Article Tier 2

Probenaufbereitung für die Analyse auf Mikroplastik mit µFTIR-Spektroskopie: Untersuchung des enzymatischen Verdaus von Plankton mit FlowCam und µFTIR

This German-language study tested sample preparation methods for microplastic analysis using micro-FTIR spectroscopy, comparing different approaches for extracting particles from complex environmental matrices. Optimizing sample preparation is essential for generating reliable, reproducible data on microplastic types and concentrations in environmental samples.

2016 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut)
Article Tier 2

Validation of an FT-IR microscopy method for the determination of microplastic particles in surface waters

Researchers validated an FT-IR microscopy method for reliably detecting and quantifying microplastic particles in aquatic and solid samples. Validated, standardized analytical methods are essential for producing comparable data across laboratories and building a reliable global picture of microplastic contamination.

2020 MethodsX 34 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study of the Toxic Effects of Microplastic Pollution on Aquatic Organisms and a Methodology for Dynamic Assessment

Researchers used stereomicroscopy and FTIR to characterize microplastics in aquatic samples and proposed a dynamic assessment methodology combining pollution risk index, pollution load index, and ecological risk index. The combined approach provided a more nuanced evaluation of microplastic contamination levels and associated ecological risks than single-index methods.

2025 Frontiers in artificial intelligence and applications
Article Tier 2

Determination of microplastics in sediment by Nile red dye

Researchers evaluated Nile red dye staining combined with fluorescent microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and XRD analysis for identifying microplastics in Sava River sediment, finding the method useful for increasing particle visibility but insufficiently reliable on its own for complete polymer identification, with coagulation artifacts observed post-staining.

2025 Repository of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Sequential combination of micro-FTIR imaging spectroscopy and pyrolysis-GC/MS for microplastic quantification. Application to river sediments

Researchers developed a protocol combining micro-FTIR imaging and pyrolysis-GC/MS for sequential microplastic analysis in river sediments. While both methods showed consistent total mass concentrations across sites, they found discrepancies in polymer proportions due to each method's specific limitations, providing practical recommendations for comparing results across different analytical approaches.

2025 Analytical Methods 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics monitoring in different environments: separation, physicochemical characterization, and quantification

Researchers systematically monitored microplastic contamination across multiple environments including a wastewater treatment plant, surrounding water bodies, and soils near plastic factories, characterizing shape, size, color, and polymer composition via microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found fragments and fibers to be the most common microplastic shapes in water environments and documented simultaneous contamination across all sampled matrices.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
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

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

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

Laboratory assessment for determining microplastics in freshwater systems – characterization and identification along Somesul Mic River

Researchers applied Raman and FTIR spectroscopy alongside microscopy to characterize microplastics in water and sediment samples from the Somesul Mic River in Romania, identifying multiple polymer types and assessing which analytical methods worked best. Developing reliable, standardized laboratory methods for detecting microplastics in freshwater is essential for generating comparable data on environmental contamination levels.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Dual-method analysis of microplastics in lake and wastewater treatment effluents: comparison of micro-FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry technique

Researchers compared micro-FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for detecting microplastics in lake water and wastewater treatment effluents, finding that both methods showed similar pollution trends but differed in specific results, with micro-FTIR identifying polymer types and DSC providing superior mass quantification from large-volume samples.

2025 Water Research X
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

The power of a multi-technique approach for the reliable quantification of microplastics in water

Researchers applied a multi-technique analytical approach combining several spectroscopic and microscopic methods to improve the reliability of microplastic quantification in environmental samples. The combined approach reduced false positives and improved polymer identification accuracy compared to any single method used alone.

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

Microplastic detection and identification by Nile red staining: Towards a semi-automated, cost- and time-effective technique

Researchers developed a semi-automated, cost-effective method for microplastic detection using Nile red fluorescent staining, showing it can significantly reduce the time and expense of identifying microplastics compared to traditional spectroscopic approaches.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 176 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical methods for microplastics in the environment: a review

Researchers reviewed classical and advanced analytical methods for detecting microplastics in the environment. The methods covered include visual analysis, electron microscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis, mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry, providing a comprehensive overview of available tools for microplastic identification and quantification.

2022 Environmental Chemistry Letters 276 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

Evidence of small microplastics (<100 μm) ingestion by Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas): A novel method of extraction, purification, and analysis using Micro-FTIR

Researchers developed a novel extraction, purification, and micro-FTIR analysis method to detect small microplastics under 100 micrometers in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), confirming ingestion of these smaller particles and finding that existing methods routinely miss this size fraction due to inadequate tissue digestion protocols.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and quantification of microplastics using Nile Red staining

Researchers tested Nile Red staining as a method for identifying and quantifying microplastics in environmental samples, finding it useful for rapid screening but noting limitations in distinguishing plastics from non-plastic particles.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 579 citations
Article Tier 2

Détection et caractérisation des macro-, micro- et nanoplastiques dans l'estuaire et golfe du fleuve Saint-Laurent, Canada

This study provides a baseline characterization of macro-, micro-, and nanoplastic concentrations in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, using FTIR spectroscopy and mass quantification to assess particle fluxes and toxicological implications. The research fills a documentation gap for this major river system and establishes reference data for tracking plastic transport from freshwater to marine environments.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository