Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment of Microplastic Degradation in Bottom Sediments Using Raman Microspectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy

Researchers assessed the degree of degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics recovered from bottom sediments of four remote ocean and sea locations (Laptev Sea, Weddell Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Sea of Japan) using Raman microspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. PET in Laptev Sea sediments showed the highest degradation level, with changes in crystallinity and surface topography correlated to local environmental conditions.

2023 Russian Journal of Marine Biology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of small-sized microplastics in coastal sediments detected by multipoint confocal micro-Raman spectrum scanning

Researchers developed a new micro-Raman spectrum scanning method to detect small-sized microplastics in coastal sediments, revealing that particles under 50 micrometers are the most prevalent and commonly overlooked by standard techniques.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

An approach for extraction, characterization and quantitation of microplastic in natural marine snow using Raman microscopy

This study demonstrated that marine snow — the organic aggregates that sink continuously through the ocean — incorporates microplastics and transports them toward the seafloor. The finding identifies biological particle aggregation as an important mechanism for removing microplastics from the upper ocean and depositing them in deep-sea sediments.

2016 Analytical Methods 307 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on Rapid Recognition of Marine Microplastics Based on Raman Spectroscopy

Researchers developed a rapid identification system for marine microplastics using Raman spectroscopy, enabling quick determination of plastic type and size. Fast, accurate identification tools are critical for monitoring the growing problem of microplastic pollution in ocean environments.

2021 Knowledge Repository of Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS (Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research) 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastics by Advanced Analytical Techniques

Researchers applied advanced analytical techniques — including Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and nanoindentation — to characterize the structure and properties of polyolefin microplastics collected from Japanese coastal waters, elucidating mechanisms of formation, photo-oxidative degradation, and fragmentation.

2022 BUNSEKI KAGAKU 11 citations
Article Tier 2

The Raman Spectroscopy Approach to Different Freshwater Microplastics and Quantitative Characterization of Polyethylene Aged in the Environment

Researchers used Raman spectroscopy to identify and characterize microplastics from multiple freshwater sites feeding the Baltic Sea, finding polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, and polystyrene as the most common polymer types. The study also demonstrated that Raman spectra can provide quantitative information on the crystallinity and density of aged polyethylene, enabling assessment of environmental weathering.

2022 Microplastics 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoscale Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Nanoplastics at 5000 m Depth in the South Atlantic Ocean

Researchers used nanoscale infrared spectroscopy combined with atomic force microscopy to identify individual nanoplastic particles in deep-sea water samples from 5,000 meters depth in the South Atlantic Ocean. This is the first demonstration that nanoplastics have reached the deep ocean floor, showing that plastic pollution has penetrated even the most remote marine environments.

2021 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Research Gaps in the Study of Microplastics: Method Development for Raman Automation, and Examining Relationships between Ecological Traits and Anthropogenic Particle Ingestion in a Deep-sea Food Web

This research addressed two gaps in microplastic science: developing more efficient automated identification methods using Raman spectroscopy, and studying how microplastics move through deep-sea food webs. The work advances tools and knowledge needed to track plastic pollution in remote ocean environments.

2021 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pellets in Arctic marine sediments: a common source or a common process?

Researchers examined microplastic pellet contamination in Arctic marine sediments to understand whether their presence reflects common sources or shared degradation processes. The study found that microplastics are accumulating on the Arctic seafloor, contributing to growing evidence that plastic pollution reaches even the most remote ocean environments.

2025 Environmental Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and analysis of microplastics in offshore sediment by microscopic differential Raman spectroscopy

Researchers developed a rapid microplastic detection system combining fluorescence imaging, differential Raman spectroscopy, and confocal microscopic Raman technology using a dual 784/785 nm wavelength laser to overcome limitations of weak Raman signals and fluorescence interference, testing it on polycarbonate and high-density polyethylene particles in offshore sediments from Qingdao Shilaoren coastal waters.

2022 Applied Optics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Identification in Remote Aquatic Environments Using Raman Spectroscopy: A Case Study for Mt. Tymfi's Alpine Lake

Researchers analyzed water from a remote alpine lake on Mt. Tymfi in Greece, a pristine environment with minimal human activity, and still found microplastics at a concentration of about 0.021 particles per liter. The most common types were polyethylene fragments and PET and nylon fibers, identified using Raman spectroscopy. The presence of microplastics even in such an isolated location underscores how far-reaching plastic pollution has become, likely transported by wind and atmospheric deposition.

2025 Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic identification using Raman microsocpy

Researchers developed and implemented a Raman spectroscopy system for rapid detection and identification of microplastic particles on substrates. The system enables efficient chemical characterization of microplastics found across diverse environmental matrices including ocean, lakes, soil, beach sediment, and human blood.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

How to Identify and Quantify Microplastics and Nanoplastics Using Raman Imaging?

This paper reviews advances in Raman imaging as a method for identifying and quantifying microplastics and nanoplastics in environmental samples, discussing current protocols, analytical challenges, and the need for standardization.

2024 Analytical Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and characterisation of microplastics in lake sediments: A study in the Zagreb region

Researchers analyzed the presence, types, and quantities of microplastics in sediments from four lakes in the Zagreb region of Croatia using density separation and micro-Raman spectroscopy, finding that polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate were the predominant polymer types.

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

Analysis of composite microplastics in sediment using 3D Raman spectroscopy and imaging method

Researchers developed an advanced 3D Raman spectroscopy and imaging method to identify composite microplastics in environmental sediment samples, overcoming the limitations of traditional 2D methods that reduce reliability when analyzing multi-layered plastic products.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the degradation mechanism of PET and PP under marine conditions using FTIR

Researchers investigated the natural degradation of polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate plastics under real marine conditions using FTIR spectroscopy, providing insights into how these common plastics break down in ocean environments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular identification of polymers and anthropogenic particles extracted from oceanic water and fish stomach – A Raman micro-spectroscopy study

Researchers applied Raman micro-spectroscopy to identify plastic polymers in Pacific Ocean trawl samples and fish stomach contents, finding polyethylene and polypropylene as the dominant types while demonstrating that many particles visually suspected as plastic were actually non-polymer biological material — underscoring the necessity of chemical verification.

2017 Environmental Pollution 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Small Micro-and Nanoparticles in Antarctic Snow by Electron Microscopy and Raman Micro-Spectroscopy

Researchers used electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy to characterize small micro- and nanoparticles in Antarctic snow, assessing the extent of anthropogenic contamination reaching this remote region. The study found particles attributable to both long-range atmospheric transport and local sources, including plastic-derived materials.

2024 Applied Sciences 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastics using Raman spectroscopy: Latest developments and future prospects

This review summarizes the latest advances in using Raman spectroscopy to identify microplastics in environmental samples, highlighting improvements in speed, sensitivity, and the ability to characterize plastic type and surface chemistry.

2018 Water Research 936 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments

Researchers analyzed deep-sea sediment cores and found microplastics present at depth, providing early evidence that deep-sea sediments globally accumulate microplastic pollution far from coastlines and at the seafloor.

2013 Environmental Pollution 1521 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of Microplastics Using a Custom Built Micro-Raman Spectrometer

Researchers built a custom micro-Raman spectrometer and demonstrated its use for identifying microplastic polymer types in environmental samples, achieving sensitive and specific polymer identification at particle sizes down to a few micrometers.

2023 Journal of Physics Conference Series 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean

Surface sediments from 26 sites in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations ranging widely and influenced by water depth, distance from land, and ocean current patterns. The study extends deep-sea microplastic monitoring to the Indian Ocean and identifies oceanographic transport as a key control on plastic distribution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Raman Imaging Spectroscopy: History, Fundamentals and Current Scenario of the Technique

This review covers the history and principles of Raman imaging spectroscopy, a technique increasingly used to identify and map the chemical composition of microplastics in environmental samples. The review provides technical context for one of the most important tools in microplastic analysis.

2019 Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the deep-sea microplastic Odyssey: Characteristics, distribution, and ecological implications in Pacific Ocean sediments

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in deep-sea sediments from the Pacific Ocean at depths reaching nearly 7,000 meters. They found microplastics at every sampling site, predominantly polyester and rayon fibers, with the highest concentrations in the Western Pacific. The study highlights that microplastic pollution has reached some of the most remote deep-sea environments on Earth, raising concerns about its ecological impact.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations