Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

PhotothermalInfrared Imaging of Nanoplastics in HumanCells with Nanoscale Resolution

Researchers used photothermal infrared imaging with nanoscale resolution to detect and localize polystyrene nanoparticles inside individual human fibroblast and glioblastoma cells, overcoming the size limitation of conventional FTIR and enabling sub-100 nm nanoplastic localization in cells.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Label-free nano- and microplastics detection in mammalian tissue by photothermal infrared spectroscopy

Researchers applied optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy to detect and identify nano- and microplastics smaller than 1 µm in mammalian tissue sections without requiring labels or lengthy digestion protocols. The method successfully localized polystyrene particles in tissue samples with chemical specificity, offering a faster workflow for nanoplastic detection in biological matrices.

2025
Article Tier 2

Detection ofUnlabeled Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplasticsin Mammalian Tissue by Optical Photothermal Infrared Spectroscopy

Researchers evaluated optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy for detecting unlabeled polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics down to 200 nm in mammalian kidney tissues and 3D cell cultures. O-PTIR outperformed conventional FTIR in spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio, and machine learning accelerated particle detection with minimal human error.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Detection of Unlabeled Micro- and Nanoplastics in Unstained Tissue with Optical Photothermal Infrared Spectroscopy

Researchers demonstrated that optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy can detect unlabeled micro- and nanoplastics as small as 250 nanometers in mammalian tissue samples without staining or labeling. The technique significantly outperformed traditional FTIR spectroscopy in spatial resolution and signal quality when imaging particles in complex biological matrices. The study also introduced a semi-automated machine learning analysis to speed up detection, offering a powerful new tool for studying nanoplastic accumulation in tissues.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Label-Free Identification and Imaging of Microplastic and Nanoplastic Biouptake Using Optical Photothermal Infrared Microspectroscopy

Researchers developed a new imaging technique that can locate and identify microplastic and nanoplastic particles inside whole organisms without needing fluorescent labels. Using a method called optical photothermal infrared microscopy, they tracked polystyrene particles as small as 1 micrometer in roundworms. This tool could help scientists better understand how plastic particles are taken up by living things and where they accumulate in the body.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Unlabeled Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics in Mammalian Tissue by Optical Photothermal Infrared Spectroscopy

Researchers demonstrated that a new imaging technique called O-PTIR spectroscopy can detect unlabeled plastic particles as small as 200 nanometers inside mammalian tissues without damaging the samples. Combined with machine learning for faster analysis, this method significantly outperforms traditional infrared spectroscopy for finding nanoplastics in biological tissue. Better detection tools like this are essential for understanding how much plastic actually accumulates in human organs.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Optical photothermal infrared spectroscopic assessment of microplastics in tissue models and non-digested human tissue sections

Researchers developed a method using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy to detect and map microplastics directly within tissue sections without requiring chemical or enzymatic digestion. The study suggests this approach preserves spatial information about where microplastics are located within tissue architecture, overcoming a key limitation of conventional digestion-based methods that can lose some particles.

2026 The Analyst
Article Tier 2

Single-Particle Analysis of the Photodegradation of Submicron Polystyrene Particles Using Infrared Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging.

Researchers used a new infrared imaging technique to observe how submicron polystyrene particles physically and chemically degrade under UV light, finding significant chemical changes within just 6 hours. This is one of the first methods capable of tracking photodegradation of very small plastic particles, improving our understanding of how nanoplastics form and age in the environment.

2024 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

Vibrational photothermal imaging from single molecules to human subjects (Conference Presentation)

This conference presentation reviews vibrational photothermal microscopy—a label-free technique using infrared pump and visible probe beams—as a tool for imaging chemical bonds in biological systems including bacteria, cells, and organisms. The technique enables real-time chemical mapping without fluorescent labels and has been applied to detect micro- and nanoplastics in biological tissues.

2025
Article Tier 2

Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging of Micron Sized Objects

Researchers tested a sensitive imaging technique called photothermal heterodyne imaging to detect and visualize micron-sized polymer beads similar in size to microplastic particles. The method shows promise as a non-destructive way to detect and characterize small plastic particles in various environments.

2023
Article Tier 2

Using Infrared Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging to Characterize Micro- and Nanoplastics in Complex Environmental Matrices

Researchers introduced infrared photothermal heterodyne imaging (IR-PHI) as a 300 nm resolution technique for identifying and quantifying micro- and nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices, demonstrating its application to nylon tea bag leachates and sediment samples.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 37 citations
Review Tier 2

Analysing micro- and nanoplastics with cutting-edge infrared spectroscopy techniques: a critical review

This review evaluates cutting-edge infrared spectroscopy techniques for detecting and analyzing micro- and nanoplastics in environmental and food samples. Better detection methods are crucial for understanding human exposure because they allow scientists to measure smaller particles more accurately, including nanoplastics that are small enough to cross biological barriers and accumulate in human tissues.

2024 Analytical Methods 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Label-free non-destructive spectroscopic detection of mixed microplastic uptake and differential effects on intestinal epithelial cells

Researchers used a specialized infrared spectroscopy technique to detect and identify real-world microplastics that had been internalized by human intestinal cells in the lab. They found that mixed microplastic exposures caused measurable changes in cellular biochemistry, even when individual plastic types showed limited effects. The study demonstrates a promising non-destructive method for tracking microplastics inside biological tissues and suggests that realistic mixtures of plastics may be more harmful than single types alone.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of nanoplastics in human cells as visualized and quantified by hyperspectral imaging with enhanced dark-field microscopy

Researchers developed a label-free imaging technique to visualize and count nanoplastic particles that accumulate inside human cells, using enhanced dark-field microscopy combined with hyperspectral imaging. The method successfully tracked polystyrene nanoplastics entering cells over time and measured accumulation rates without needing fluorescent labels. This tool could improve the accuracy of future studies assessing how nanoplastics build up in human tissue and what concentration levels may pose health risks.

2023 Environment International 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics in tap water by optical photothermal infrared

Researchers used optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy to characterize microplastics in tap water, identifying particles as small as a few micrometers that conventional FTIR techniques cannot resolve. The higher detection sensitivity revealed that microplastic concentrations in drinking water are likely underestimated by standard methods.

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

Photothermal radiometric image identification of microplastics through near-infrared excitation

Researchers demonstrated near-infrared photothermal radiometric imaging as a rapid tool for identifying and visualizing different microplastic types, using excitation wavelengths in the 1662-1725 nm range specific to polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene. Each plastic type in a 2 mm square area was distinguishable after 20 seconds of irradiation using a commercially available thermal camera.

2025 Analytical Sciences
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of near-infrared-fluorophore-loaded microplastics with different compositions for in vivo tracking

Researchers synthesised fluorescent microplastic particles of different polymer types that can be tracked inside living animals using near-infrared imaging, creating a tool for studying how microplastics move through and accumulate within biological tissues. These model particles help researchers understand real-world microplastic behaviour inside organisms, which is critical for assessing health risks.

2026 Environmental Science Advances
Article Tier 2

Method for label-free & non-destructive detection of microplastics in human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections

Researchers developed a new method to detect microplastic particles directly in preserved human colon tissue samples using advanced infrared microscopy, without destroying the tissue. They identified polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET particles within the tissue and observed signs of inflammation near the plastic particles, marking what may be the first workflow that combines microplastic detection with standard pathology analysis in human samples.

2025 Scientific Reports 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine learning powered framework for detection of micro- and nanoplastics using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy

A machine learning framework was developed to detect and classify micro- and nanoplastics using optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy, addressing the lack of standardized detection methods in the field. The approach improves accuracy and consistency in identifying plastic particles, potentially enabling better monitoring of environmental and human health risks.

2023 EPJ Web of Conferences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphological and chemical characterization of nanoplastics in human tissue

Researchers developed methods to visualize and chemically characterize nanoplastics that have accumulated in human tissue samples. They were able to identify plastic particles smaller than one micrometer within tissue using advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The study provides some of the first direct evidence of nanoscale plastic accumulation in the human body, which is essential for designing future health effects research.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling Hidden Threats: Introduction of a Routine Workflow for Label-Free and Non-destructive Detection of Microplastics in Human FFPE Tissue Sections

Researchers developed a new workflow using mid-infrared photothermal microscopy to detect and identify microplastic particles directly in preserved human colon tissue sections. The method allows non-destructive, label-free identification of polymer types within tissue without special sample preparation. The study introduces a practical approach that could enable routine screening for microplastics in human tissues during standard medical examinations.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A tutorial on optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) microscopy

This tutorial reviews optical photothermal infrared microscopy, a technique that achieves up to 30 times better spatial resolution than conventional infrared imaging. Researchers describe how this method enables chemical identification of materials at the sub-micrometer scale, with applications ranging from biomedical research to microplastics detection. The technology is particularly valuable for environmental scientists who need to identify and characterize extremely small plastic particles in complex samples.

2024 APL Photonics 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Localisation and identification of polystyrene particles in tissue sections using Raman spectroscopic imaging

Researchers developed a Raman spectroscopic imaging method to localize and identify polystyrene microplastic particles directly within tissue sections, enabling in-situ detection without fluorescent labeling and making environmental sample analysis feasible.

2023 NanoImpact 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Identifying Microplastics in Laboratory and Atmospheric Aerosol Mixtures via Optical Photothermal Infrared and Raman Microspectroscopy

Researchers developed optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy methods to identify microplastics in both laboratory-prepared and real atmospheric aerosol samples, demonstrating the technique's ability to distinguish plastic particles from other aerosol components in complex air quality monitoring contexts.

2025 Analytical Chemistry