Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

From macro to micro: Comprehensive marine beach litter analysis using portable NIR

Researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of marine beach litter using portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, combining macro-litter surveys with microplastic characterisation to assess polymer composition and pollution levels. The study demonstrated that portable NIR technology can bridge the gap between macro- and micro-scale beach litter monitoring, offering a practical tool for national marine litter surveillance programmes.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Quantitative Analysis of Microplastics in Soil Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

This master's thesis examines the use of near-infrared spectroscopy as a quantitative analytical method for detecting and measuring microplastic concentrations in soil samples, assessing its potential as a faster alternative to conventional microplastic quantification techniques.

2025 Digital Library of the University of Innsbruck (University of Innsbruck)
Article Tier 2

Portable NIR spectroscopy: the route to green analytical chemistry

This review covers the development of portable near-infrared spectrometers as tools for quick, non-destructive analysis across fields including food safety, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. Researchers found that handheld devices are becoming increasingly accurate and affordable, enabling on-the-spot measurements that previously required laboratory equipment. The technology is relevant to microplastic research as it offers a potential method for rapid field identification of plastic polymers.

2023 Frontiers in Chemistry 74 citations
Article Tier 2

A comprehensive and fast microplastics identification based on near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI-NIR) and chemometrics

Researchers developed a near-infrared hyperspectral imaging method combined with chemometric analysis for rapid, high-throughput identification of microplastic types in mixed samples, achieving high classification accuracy and offering a faster alternative to FTIR and Raman methods for routine monitoring.

2021 Environmental Pollution 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer Type Identification of Marine Plastic Litter Using a Miniature Near-Infrared Spectrometer (MicroNIR)

Researchers tested a miniature near-infrared spectrometer (MicroNIR) for rapidly identifying polymer types in marine plastic litter collected from beaches, finding it could accurately distinguish common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. Low-cost, portable identification tools are important for large-scale monitoring of marine plastic pollution.

2020 Applied Sciences 59 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

From Macro to Micro: Comprehensive coastal litter analysis using portable NIR

Researchers applied portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to conduct comprehensive coastal litter analysis spanning both macro- and micro-size fractions, aiming to bridge the information gap between existing monitoring strategies that separately categorize macroplastics and microplastics on beaches.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Quantification of ternary microplastic mixtures through an ultra-compact near-infrared spectrometer coupled with chemometric tools

Researchers developed a miniaturized near-infrared spectrometer paired with chemometric analysis to quantify mixtures of the three most common environmental microplastics — polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene — demonstrating its promise as a portable, field-deployable detection tool.

2022 Environmental Research 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a Near-Infrared Imaging System for Identifying Microplastics in Water

Researchers developed a near-infrared imaging system capable of automatically identifying and characterizing microplastics suspended in water, successfully obtaining material identification images without the manual sorting typically required by conventional methods.

2022 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Qualitative discrimination and quantitative prediction of microplastics in ash based on near-infrared spectroscopy

Researchers developed a method using portable near-infrared spectroscopy to quickly detect and measure microplastics in waste incineration ash. The study found that this approach can both identify the type of plastic present and predict its concentration, offering a faster alternative to traditional laboratory testing methods for monitoring microplastic contamination in ash residues.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 27 citations
Article Tier 2

An investigation on the applications of advanced Infrared Spectroscopy, Spectral Imaging and Machine Learning for Polymer Characterization, including microplastics

This study integrated advanced infrared spectroscopy, spectral imaging, chemometrics, and machine learning to identify and characterize microplastics and polymer degradation products. The combination of techniques improved both the accuracy and throughput of MP analysis compared to conventional methods.

2025 Research Repository UCD (University College Dublin)
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

Chemical characterization of microplastics from biosolids: a comparison of FTIR and O-PTIR microspectroscopy

Researchers compared conventional FTIR microspectroscopy with the emerging Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) technique for chemical characterization and polymer-type identification of microplastics extracted from biosolids, finding that O-PTIR's submicron resolution and artifact-free spectra offer advantages over traditional methods.

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

Comparative Study of Chemometric Approaches and Machine Learning for Miniaturized Near-infrared (micronir) Spectroscopy in Plasticwaste Sorting

This study tested a miniaturized near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy device combined with chemometric and machine learning methods to sort different types of plastic waste. The approach accurately identified polymer types, supporting more efficient plastic recycling operations that could reduce microplastic generation.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

From Macro to Micro: Comprehensive coastal litter analysis using portable NIR

Researchers applied portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to conduct comprehensive coastal litter analysis spanning macro- to micro-scale plastic fractions, investigating the distribution dynamics and size-fraction relationships of plastic debris along shorelines. The study contributed to bridging the gap between macroplastic monitoring programs and microplastic research to improve understanding of the full plastic cycle in coastal environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Green Techniques for Detecting Microplastics in Marine with Emphasis on FTIR and NIR Spectroscopy—Short Review

This review covers green detection methods for microplastics in marine environments, with a focus on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy. Researchers found these techniques offer more efficient and accurate analysis compared to traditional visual inspection and manual sorting. The study highlights the importance of developing reliable, environmentally friendly detection methods as concerns about microplastic contamination in seafood grow.

2023 Processes 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a novel semi-automated analytical system of microplastics using reflectance-FTIR spectrometry: designed for the analysis of large microplastics

A semi-automated reflectance-FTIR spectrometry system was developed for microplastic analysis, designed specifically for large microplastics and capable of dramatically accelerating the otherwise labor-intensive identification process while maintaining accuracy in polymer type determination.

2025 Environmental Science Advances 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Current development and future challenges in microplastic detection techniques: A bibliometrics-based analysis and review

Researchers conducted a bibliometrics-based review of current microplastic detection techniques and their limitations. The study found that different environmental settings require different analytical methods and that current instrument limitations can lead to over- or underestimation of microplastic abundance, highlighting the need for continued development of more accurate detection technologies.

2022 Science Progress 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of High-Resolution Near-Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy to Detect Microplastic Particles in Different Environmental Compartments

Researchers enhanced a lab-based near-infrared imaging spectroscopy setup with a microscopic lens to detect microplastic particles as small as 100 micrometers across multiple environmental sample types, significantly speeding up analysis compared to traditional methods. Faster, semi-automated detection tools are essential for scaling up environmental monitoring of microplastics, which currently requires labor-intensive laboratory work.

2023 Water Air & Soil Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of new analysis methods for simultaneous and rapid identification of five different microplastics using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Researchers developed and evaluated ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis for simultaneous rapid identification of five common microplastic polymer types in water samples. The method achieved high classification accuracy across polymer types, offering a faster and more automated alternative to conventional single-polymer identification approaches.

2024 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The potential of NIR spectroscopy in the separation of plastics for pyrolysis

This study examined the potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to identify and sort different plastic types for chemical recycling, finding it can effectively distinguish major polymer types. Better plastic sorting technology could improve recycling rates and reduce the amount of plastic that ends up as environmental microplastic pollution.

2021 Electronic Imaging 14 citations
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)