Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

PlasticNet: Deep Learning for Automatic Microplastic Recognition via FT-IR Spectroscopy

Researchers developed PlasticNet, a deep learning algorithm that automatically identifies microplastic types from infrared spectral data, outperforming conventional library matching approaches. Automating microplastic identification could dramatically speed up the analysis of environmental samples and reduce human error.

2021 Journal of Computational Vision and Imaging Systems 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of Polymers with a Small Data Set of Mid-infrared Spectra: A Comparison between Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models

Researchers compared multiple machine learning and deep learning models for identifying polymer types from mid-infrared spectral data using a small reference dataset, finding that certain deep learning architectures outperformed traditional methods even with limited training examples, supporting automated microplastic identification.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Deep learning for chemometric analysis of plastic spectral data from infrared and Raman databases

A novel deep learning architecture called PolymerSpectraDecisionNet was trained to identify common recyclable plastics from infrared and Raman spectral databases. The model outperformed conventional chemometric methods for polymer classification and was designed to handle real-world spectral variability relevant to the plastics recycling industry.

2022 Resources Conservation and Recycling 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Leveraging deep learning for automatic recognition of microplastics (MPs) via focal plane array (FPA) micro-FT-IR imaging

Researchers developed PlasticNet, a deep learning neural network for identifying microplastics in environmental samples using infrared imaging, achieving over 95% accuracy across 11 common plastic types. The study demonstrates that this approach overcomes challenges posed by surface modifications and additives that make conventional spectral classification difficult.

2023 Environmental Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Classifying polymers with mid-IR spectra and machine learning: From monitoring to detection

Researchers applied machine learning to mid-infrared spectra to automatically classify different types of plastic polymers found in the environment. Accurate polymer identification is essential for microplastic research, and this automated approach could improve monitoring efficiency and data consistency across studies.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comparative Study of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models for Microplastic Classification using FTIR Spectra

Researchers compared machine learning and deep learning models for classifying microplastics using FTIR spectra, evaluating multiple algorithmic approaches against standardised spectral datasets. The study assessed classification accuracy and computational efficiency, identifying which model architectures best discriminate between polymer types in environmental microplastic samples.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Deep learning-powered efficient characterization and quantification of microplastics

Researchers developed an artificial intelligence framework that uses deep learning to automatically identify and quantify microplastics from infrared spectra and visual images. The system achieved high accuracy in classifying plastic types and counting particles, dramatically reducing the time needed compared to manual analysis. This tool could make large-scale microplastic monitoring faster and more consistent across different research laboratories.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Spectral Classification of Large-Scale Blended (Micro)Plastics Using FT-IR Raw Spectra and Image-Based Machine Learning

Researchers developed and compared four machine learning classifiers for identifying microplastic types from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data using large-scale blended plastic datasets. The study found that a 1D convolutional neural network achieved the best overall accuracy at over 97%, outperforming decision tree and random forest models, offering a scalable alternative to traditional library-search methods for microplastic identification.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid and Nondestructive On-Site Classification Method for Consumer-Grade Plastics Based on Portable NIR Spectrometer and Machine Learning

Researchers used a portable near-infrared spectrometer combined with machine learning to rapidly identify and classify seven types of consumer plastic waste on-site without damaging the samples. Faster and cheaper plastic identification tools are important for improving plastic recycling efficiency and ultimately reducing the amount of plastic that ends up as microplastic pollution.

2020 Journal of Spectroscopy 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Deep convolutional neural networks for aged microplastics identification by Fourier transform infrared spectra classification

This study developed a deep learning model using convolutional neural networks to automatically identify aged microplastics from their infrared spectra. Aging changes the chemical signature of plastics, making them harder to identify with conventional spectral databases. The AI approach achieved high accuracy and could significantly speed up the analysis of environmental samples where weathered microplastics are the norm.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of representative convolutional neural network based models for microplastic spectral identification

Researchers developed eight convolutional neural network (CNN) models for microplastic spectral classification — including LeNet, AlexNet, VGG16, and ResNet34 variants — trained on a comprehensive dataset of self-collected and publicly sourced infrared spectra covering virgin and environmentally weathered plastics with varying thicknesses, aging stages, and additives to improve robustness across research contexts.

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

Optimized recognition of microplastic ATR-FTIR spectra with deep learning

Researchers developed an optimized deep learning method for identifying microplastics from ATR-FTIR spectra, improving classification accuracy for weathered and environmentally contaminated MP samples that challenge standard spectral library matching approaches.

2025
Article Tier 2

Open-set convolutional neural network for infrared spectral classification of environmentally sourced microplastics

A convolutional neural network was trained to classify microplastics from infrared spectra, including an 'open-set' capability to flag unknown polymer types not seen during training — achieving 93.1% accuracy. This advance in automated spectral identification will help environmental monitoring programs process large numbers of microplastic samples faster and more reliably.

2026 npj Emerging Contaminants
Article Tier 2

A comparison of machine learning techniques for the detection of microplastics

This German-language study compared machine learning algorithms for classifying microplastics based on their infrared spectra, finding that several methods could reliably distinguish polymer types. Automating microplastic identification through machine learning could greatly increase the speed and throughput of environmental monitoring.

2020 reposiTUm (TU Wien)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in the Arctic marine environment: database of IR spectra and its analysis by machine learning methods

Researchers compiled a database of infrared spectra from microplastic particles collected in the Arctic marine environment and applied machine learning methods to automate polymer identification, addressing the labor-intensive nature of manual spectral analysis. They developed and evaluated ML classification models using real environmental polymer spectra to improve the speed and scalability of microplastic chemical characterization in polar research.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Enhancing microplastic classification through filter-interfered FTIR spectra using dimensionality reduction and deep learning in low-dimensional spaces

Researchers developed a method to improve microplastic classification from FTIR spectra that are interfered with by filter backgrounds, using deep learning to extract polymer-specific spectral features even when filter absorption overlaps with plastic signatures, improving accuracy for environmental samples.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

FTIR-Based Microplastic Classification: A Comprehensive Study on Normalization and ML Techniques

Researchers tested machine learning and deep learning techniques for classifying six common types of microplastics using infrared spectroscopy data. They found that using broader spectral ranges and certain normalization techniques significantly improved classification accuracy. The study demonstrates that automated identification of microplastic types is feasible and could speed up environmental monitoring efforts.

2025 Recycling 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in the Arctic marine environment: database of IR spectra and its analysis by machine learning methods

Researchers built a database of IR spectra from microplastic particles collected across Arctic marine environments and applied machine learning methods to enable faster and less labor-intensive chemical composition analysis, identifying polymer types from spectral signatures at broad regional scales.

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

Microplastic Spectral Classification Using Deep Learning with Denoising and Dimensionality Reduction

Researchers developed a deep learning approach for microplastic spectral classification that incorporates denoising and dimensionality reduction steps, improving the accuracy of identifying and classifying microplastic polymer types from spectral data in marine ecosystems.

2024 1 citations