Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Efficient Prediction of Microplastic Counts from Mass Measurements

Scientists developed machine learning models to estimate the number of microplastic particles from aggregate weight measurements, potentially offering a faster and cheaper alternative to manual counting. Efficient quantification methods are critical for large-scale monitoring of microplastic contamination in environmental samples.

2021 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Prediction of Settling Velocity of Microplastics by Multiple Machine-Learning Methods

Researchers developed machine learning models to predict the settling velocity of microplastics in water, using particle shape, size, and density as inputs. The models outperformed traditional empirical equations, providing a more accurate tool for modeling microplastic transport and sedimentation.

2024 Water 9 citations
Article Tier 2

An Accurate Size-Probability Distribution Method for Converting Microplastic Counts to Mass

Researchers developed a size-probability distribution method to convert microplastic particle counts into mass estimates without requiring detailed morphological measurements for every particle, addressing a key gap in environmental monitoring where mass-based reporting is needed but count-based data is more commonly generated.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Convex Optimization of Environmental Processes

Researchers developed a Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR)-based method enhanced by active learning strategies to predict microplastic particle counts from aggregate weight measurements, reducing the need for labor-intensive manual counting by training on a subset of experimentally quantified samples and using active learning to minimize training data requirements without sacrificing prediction accuracy.

2024 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Predicting the toxicity of microplastic particles through machine learning models

Researchers developed machine learning models to predict microplastic particle toxicity from physical and chemical descriptors, addressing the classification challenge posed by the enormous diversity of particle types that cannot be characterized using conventional chemical hazard methods. The models provided accurate toxicity predictions across diverse microplastic types, offering a practical screening tool for the field.

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

A new modeling approach for microplastic drag and settling velocity

Researchers developed a novel machine learning-based modelling framework to predict drag coefficients and settling velocities for microplastics of varying shapes (1D, 2D, 3D, and mixed) in aquatic environments. The framework achieved coefficient of determination values of 0.86-0.95 for drag models, outperforming traditional theoretical and data-fitting approaches in both speed and accuracy.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Predicting the toxicity of microplastic particles through machine learning models

Researchers applied machine learning models to predict the toxicity of microplastic particles from their physical and chemical properties, addressing the challenge that microplastics lack the standardized identifiers used for chemical hazard classification. The models successfully predicted toxicity outcomes from particle descriptors, offering a framework for hazard screening of the diverse and complex microplastic contaminant class.

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

Machine learning-based prediction for settling velocity of microplastics with various shapes

Researchers developed machine learning models to predict the settling velocity of microplastics based on their size, density, and shape. They classified microplastic shapes into fiber, film, and fragment categories and identified the optimal shape parameter for each, achieving significantly better prediction accuracy than existing theoretical models. The study reveals that particle size has the greatest influence on settling velocity, which is important for understanding how microplastics move and distribute in water environments.

2023 Water Research 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Algorithm Comparison for Microplastic Classification: Evaluating Ensemble Models on Density and Measurement Features

Researchers compared machine learning algorithms for classifying microplastic types based on density and measurement features, evaluating ensemble models against standard classifiers. The ensemble approaches outperformed individual models, suggesting that combining multiple algorithms improves automated MP identification from physical measurement data.

2025
Article Tier 2

AI-Driven Framework Development for Predictive Classification of Microplastic Concentration of Aquatic Systems in the United States

Researchers compared four machine learning models—logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, and a neural network—for predicting microplastic density in US coastal waters across three regions. The support vector machine performed best with 93.94% average accuracy, demonstrating the potential of AI-driven tools for microplastic monitoring.

2025
Article Tier 2

Predicting aqueous sorption of organic pollutants on microplastics with machine learning

Researchers developed machine learning models to predict how organic pollutants bind to microplastics in water, using data from 475 published experiments. The models outperformed traditional approaches by accounting for properties of both the microplastics and the pollutants simultaneously. The study provides a more universal tool for understanding how microplastics can transport and concentrate harmful chemicals in freshwater systems.

2023 Water Research 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Binary Segmentation with Resolution Fusion and Large Convolution Kernels

Researchers developed an improved machine-learning model to automatically detect and segment microplastic particles in images, achieving better accuracy than previous approaches by combining multi-resolution image analysis with large convolution kernels. Reliable automated detection tools are essential for scaling up microplastic monitoring, since manual identification is too slow and inconsistent for the volumes of environmental samples that need to be processed.

2024 Journal of Computing Science and Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine-Learning-Accelerated Prediction of Water Quality Criteria for Microplastics

Researchers developed a machine learning framework to predict microplastic toxicity in aquatic organisms and derive water quality criteria for five common polymer types. The random forest model outperformed other algorithms, with particle size, density, and aquatic species group accounting for 72% of prediction variability. The study found that polystyrene and PET exhibited the greatest toxicity, and that microplastics were generally more toxic in freshwater than saltwater environments.

2026 ACS ES&T Water
Article Tier 2

Machine learning may accelerate the recognition and control of microplastic pollution: Future prospects

This review examines how machine learning techniques including neural networks and random forests are being applied to microplastic detection, classification, and ecological risk assessment, demonstrating faster and more accurate results than traditional analytical methods. The authors identify data standardization and model interpretability as key challenges for broader adoption.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Prediction of microplastic abundance in surface water of the ocean and influencing factors based on ensemble learning

Researchers used machine learning to predict microplastic levels in ocean surface waters and identify the key factors driving contamination. Their models found that geographic location, ocean currents, and proximity to populated coastlines were major predictors of microplastic abundance. This approach could help scientists map pollution hotspots without costly and time-consuming physical sampling.

2023 Environmental Pollution 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards A universal settling model for microplastics with diverse shapes: Machine learning breaking morphological barriers

Researchers developed a machine learning model to predict the settling velocity of microplastics across different shapes, including fragments, films, and fibers. Unlike existing models limited to specific morphologies, this approach works universally across all three particle types. The study provides a more reliable tool for modeling how microplastics move through and deposit in aquatic environments.

2024 Water Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine Learning to Predict the Adsorption Capacity for Microplastics

Researchers developed and compared three machine learning models — random forest, support vector machine, and artificial neural network — to predict microplastic/water partition coefficients (log Kd) for chemical pollutant adsorption, addressing the limited experimental data available on microplastic adsorption capacity in aquatic environments.

2023 Preprints.org 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of machine learning-based methods predictive suitability for migration pollutants from microplastics degradation

Researchers assessed the usefulness of machine learning methods for predicting the migration of chemical pollutants from microplastics. The study found that artificial neural networks and support vector methods showed strong potential for modeling and predicting the leaching of plasticizers and other contaminants, which could reduce the need for extensive laboratory analyses.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 54 citations
Article Tier 2

[Overview of the Application of Machine Learning for Identification and Environmental Risk Assessment of Microplastics].

This review examines the application of machine learning (ML) methods for identifying microplastics and assessing their environmental risks, covering techniques for improving the accuracy and reliability of microplastic detection across different environmental media. Researchers highlight how ML can systematically analyse pollution characteristics and support ecological risk evaluation of microplastic contamination.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A methodology for the fast identification and monitoring of microplastics in environmental samples using random decision forest classifiers

Researchers developed a methodology using random decision forest classifiers for the fast identification and monitoring of microplastics in environmental samples. The approach provides a machine learning-based tool to accelerate microplastic detection and reduce the analytical burden of characterising particles across diverse environmental matrices.

2019 Analytical Methods 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid Mass Conversion for Environmental Microplastics of Diverse Shapes

Researchers developed a faster and more accurate method for converting microplastic counts into mass estimates, which is critical for calculating how much plastic rivers carry to the ocean. Using deep learning to classify microplastic shapes and a new approach to estimating thickness, the models reduced estimation errors by sevenfold compared to previous methods while saving about two hours per hundred particles analyzed.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 32 citations
Article Tier 2

A Machine Learning Approach To Microplastic Detection And Quantification In Aquatic Environments

This study developed a machine learning approach for detecting and quantifying microplastics in aquatic environments, demonstrating that automated image analysis can improve throughput and accuracy compared to manual microscopic counting for environmental monitoring applications.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Prediction of the cytotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics using machine learning combined with literature data mining

Researchers developed a machine learning framework using decision tree ensemble classifiers trained on 1,824 literature-derived data points to predict the cytotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics based on nine physicochemical and experimental features. The full-feature model achieved 95% accuracy with 86% recall and precision, and feature selection identified six key predictors, providing a tool to guide experimental design and harmonize MNP toxicity research.

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

Machine learning-based prediction and model interpretability analysis for algal growth affected by microplastics

Researchers used machine learning models to predict how microplastics affect algal growth and found that exposure time, microplastic concentration, and particle size are the most important factors. Smaller microplastics and longer exposure periods had the greatest negative effects on algae, particularly when particles were smaller than the algal cells. The study provides a data-driven approach for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations