Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A fluorescence approach for an online measurement technique of atmospheric microplastics

Scientists developed a fluorescence-based instrument that can detect airborne microplastic particles in real time, rather than requiring slow laboratory analysis. The tool successfully identified common plastic types like PET, polyethylene, and polypropylene as individual particles in the air. This technology could help researchers better understand how much microplastic people are actually breathing in, which is important for assessing respiratory health risks from airborne plastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Science Atmospheres 13 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel online method for the detection, analysis, and classification of airborne microplastics

Researchers developed an online method for real-time detection, analysis, and automated classification of airborne microplastics, enabling continuous monitoring of plastic particle concentrations and polymer types in ambient air without the time-consuming sample preparation required by conventional methods.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics: a sampling and analytical method including the associated measurement uncertainties

Researchers developed a tailored analytical chain for atmospheric microplastic sampling — including collection, processing, and optical microscopy-based analysis — and applied it to quantify atmospheric deposition of microplastics and assess the atmosphere as a vector of global microplastic distribution.

2025
Article Tier 2

Evidence and Mass Quantification of Atmospheric Microplastics in a Coastal New Zealand City

Researchers quantified atmospheric microplastic deposition in Auckland, New Zealand, combining fluorescence microscopy with pyrolysis-GC/MS to determine both particle counts and mass concentrations of specific polymers in airborne samples.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel Single-Particle Analytical Technique for Inhalable Airborne Microplastic Particles by the Combined Use of Fluorescence Microscopy, Raman Microspectrometry, and SEM/EDX

Researchers developed a novel single-particle analytical method combining fluorescence microscopy, Raman microspectrometry, and SEM/EDX to characterize inhalable airborne microplastics smaller than 10 µm in ambient PM10 aerosols, addressing a critical gap in understanding respiratory exposure to plastic particles.

2023
Article Tier 2

Novel Single-Particle Analytical Technique for Inhalable Airborne Microplastic Particles by the Combined Use of Fluorescence Microscopy, Raman Microspectrometry, and SEM/EDX

Researchers developed a new method combining fluorescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy to analyze individual airborne microplastic particles small enough to inhale. The technique can identify both the polymer type and chemical composition of particles under 10 micrometers found in urban air samples. Better tools for characterizing breathable microplastics are essential for understanding respiratory exposure risks.

2023 Analytical Chemistry 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Merging holography, fluorescence, and machine learning for in situ continuous characterization and classification of airborne microplastics

Researchers developed an instrument combining holography, fluorescence, and machine learning for continuous, real-time characterization of airborne microplastics. The system can identify and classify microplastic particles in situ without requiring laboratory sample collection and analysis. The study represents an advance in monitoring technology that could improve understanding of atmospheric microplastic transport and human exposure.

2024 Atmospheric measurement techniques 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Various Perspectives on Occurrence, Sources, Measurement Techniques, Transport, and Insights Into Future Scope for Research of Atmospheric Microplastics

This review synthesized current knowledge on atmospheric microplastics, covering their sources, occurrence across global regions, measurement techniques, and transport mechanisms, while identifying key research gaps for future investigation.

2023 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Single particle-resolution fluorescence microscopy of nanoplastics

Researchers developed a fluorescence microscopy technique capable of imaging and identifying individual nanoplastic particles. The method enables single-particle resolution detection of nanoplastics, which is a key step toward better quantifying these otherwise invisible particles in environmental samples.

2020 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and identification of airborne small microplastics (<100 μm) and other microlitter components in atmospheric aerosol via a novel elutriation and oleo-extraction method

Researchers developed and optimized a method to quantify and identify small airborne microplastics (5–100 µm) using elutriation, oleoextraction, and purification steps, helping fill a major gap in standardized sampling protocols for atmospheric plastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Pollution 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Auto-fluorescence based detection of single aerosol particles: Applications to bioaerosols and atmospheric microplastics

This thesis developed autofluorescence-based optical methods to detect individual aerosol particles in real time, applying the technique to both bioaerosols (pollen, spores, bacteria) and atmospheric microplastics, demonstrating its potential for continuous environmental monitoring.

2025 reposiTUm (TU Wien)
Article Tier 2

In situ chemical characterization of airborne nanoplastic particles by aerosol mass spectrometry

Researchers used aerosol mass spectrometry to chemically characterize airborne nanoplastic particles in real time in urban air. They detected multiple polymer types including polyethylene and polystyrene at concentrations that varied with location and weather conditions. This approach enables in situ monitoring of atmospheric nanoplastics without sample collection, advancing understanding of human inhalation exposure.

2023
Article Tier 2

Characterization of the Morphological and Chemical Profile of Different Families of Microplastics in Samples of Breathable Air

Researchers characterized the morphological and chemical profiles of airborne microplastics collected from breathable air samples, finding diverse polymer types and particle shapes and examining how these particles are transported through the atmosphere to the air people breathe.

2023 Molecules 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Single-particle investigation of airborne microplastics of inhalable size (<10 μm) using fluorescence microscopy, Raman microspectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry in combination

Researchers developed a new analytical strategy combining fluorescence microscopy, Raman microspectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy to reliably detect and characterize inhalable airborne microplastics smaller than 10 µm, finding approximately 800 microplastic particles per cubic meter in ambient urban air.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the Air

This review provides a comprehensive overview of methods for collecting, extracting, and identifying airborne microplastics, examining their sources, transport mechanisms, and persistence in urban and atmospheric environments, and establishing a methodological foundation for future research on microplastic air pollution.

2025
Article Tier 2

The quantification of the airborne plastic particles of 0.43–11 μm: Procedure development and application to atmospheric environment

Researchers developed a new method for measuring airborne plastic particles as small as 0.43 micrometers, a size range rarely studied before. Testing the approach in real atmospheric conditions, they detected multiple types of plastic polymers in the air, including polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET, providing evidence that people are regularly breathing in ultrafine plastic particles.

2024 Chemosphere 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the air: a review

This review examines the occurrence, sources, physicochemical characteristics, and sampling and analytical methods for microplastics and nanoplastics in atmospheric air across urban, industrial, coastal, and remote environments. The authors find that fibers and fragments are the dominant atmospheric microplastic forms, that no standardized sampling methods currently exist, and that both passive and active collection approaches are used across the literature with limited comparability.

2025 Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology/Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Real-Time Detection of Urban Atmospheric Micro–Nanoplastics and Their Chemical Mixing State Using Bioaerosol Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a real-time detection system for atmospheric micro-nanoplastics in urban air, characterizing their chemical composition, mixing states, and interactions with atmospheric species. The system revealed that urban MNPs form complex associations with organic and inorganic atmospheric compounds, influencing their transport properties and environmental reactivity.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a standardized methodology for the identification and characterization of airborne microplastics in working spaces

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for identifying and characterizing microplastics in both indoor and outdoor atmospheric samples. The protocol addresses the lack of consistent methods for airborne microplastic monitoring, which is important given the high amount of time people spend indoors.

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

High temporal resolution records of outdoor and indoor airborne microplastics

Researchers used a volumetric spore trap to record airborne microplastics at hourly resolution both indoors and outdoors, demonstrating a novel high-temporal-resolution method that reveals detailed patterns in atmospheric microplastic concentrations.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Merging holography, fluorescence, and machine learning for in situ, continuous characterization and classification of airborne microplastics

This study combined holography, fluorescence microscopy, and machine learning for continuous in situ detection and classification of airborne microplastics without the need for sample collection and laboratory analysis. The system enabled real-time characterization of particle size, shape, and type in ambient air.

2023 3 citations