Papers

61,005 results
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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

Development of a rapid detection protocol for microplastics using reflectance-FTIR spectroscopic imaging and multivariate classification

Reflectance-FTIR spectroscopy was evaluated as a faster and more automated detection method for microplastics in environmental samples, with results showing strong potential for high-throughput screening. The method could reduce the time and cost of routine microplastic monitoring programs.

2023 Environmental Science Advances 23 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)
Article Tier 2

Computer-Assisted Analysis of Microplastics in Environmental Samples Based on μFTIR Imaging in Combination with Machine Learning

Researchers developed machine learning approaches for automated microplastic identification in environmental samples from micro-FTIR imaging data, demonstrating improved accuracy and speed compared to traditional spectral library search methods for scalable analysis.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to Assess the Degree of Alteration of Artificially Aged and Environmentally Weathered Microplastics

Researchers used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to compare the chemical weathering of microplastics collected from an Italian river with artificially aged plastic samples. They found that environmental microplastics showed distinct patterns of chemical degradation that differed from lab-accelerated aging. The study demonstrates how FTIR analysis can serve as a useful tool for assessing how long microplastics have been exposed to environmental conditions.

2023 Polymers 197 citations
Article Tier 2

The applicability of reflectance micro-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the detection of synthetic microplastics in marine sediments

Researchers developed and validated an optimized micro-FT-IR spectroscopy protocol for detecting microplastics in coastal marine sediments, providing a detailed operating procedure. The standardized method improves detection reliability and enables comparison of results across laboratories studying sediment microplastic contamination.

2012 The Science of The Total Environment 375 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics in environment by thermal gravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Researchers developed a method combining thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify and quantify microplastics in environmental samples, demonstrating that the combined temperature profiles and absorption spectra provide greater discriminatory power than either technique alone.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 137 citations
Article Tier 2

μ-FTIR Reflectance Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Analysis: A Rapid and Robust Method for Identifying the Extent of Photodegradation on Microplastics

Researchers developed a faster, more sensitive method for identifying weathered microplastics using infrared reflectance spectroscopy combined with statistical analysis. The technique can classify different plastic types and assess their level of sun damage without complex data preprocessing. The approach could improve the speed and accuracy of environmental microplastic monitoring, particularly for particles that have been altered by exposure to sunlight.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 16 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Automatic microplastic classification using dual-modality spectral and image data for enhanced accuracy

A dual-modality classification system combining FTIR spectral data and microscope images achieved 99% accuracy in automatically identifying five common microplastic polymer types. The study deployed a web application (MPsSpecClassify) that enables researchers to efficiently classify microplastics, addressing the time-consuming and error-prone nature of manual spectral analysis.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 8 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

A New Chemometric Approach for Automatic Identification of Microplastics from Environmental Compartments Based on FT-IR Spectroscopy

Researchers developed a new chemometric approach for automatic identification of microplastics from environmental samples, designed to handle the challenges of biofilm contamination and surface aging that typically impede standard spectroscopic characterisation methods.

2017 Analytical Chemistry 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Weathering-independent differentiation of microplastic polymers by reflectance IR spectrometry and pattern recognition

Researchers developed a weathering-independent method for identifying microplastic polymer types using reflectance infrared spectrometry combined with pattern recognition techniques including principal components analysis and classification trees, demonstrating reliable polymer differentiation even when field samples are weathered or biofouled.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 8 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

Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy of Environmentally Weathered Textile Fabrics for Enhanced Microplastic Identification

This study used infrared spectroscopy to identify microplastic fibers from clothing that had been weathered by ocean conditions, finding that environmental aging makes spectral identification more difficult. Accurate detection of these aged fibers is essential for understanding the true scale of textile microplastic pollution in the ocean.

2021
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

Robust Automatic Identification of Microplastics in Environmental Samples Using FTIR Microscopy

Researchers developed a robust automated method for identifying microplastics in environmental samples using FTIR microscopy combined with machine learning-based spectral matching, improving the consistency and efficiency of microplastic identification compared to manual evaluation.

2019 Analytical Chemistry 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Handheld portable FTIR spectroscopy for the triage of micro and meso sized plastics in the marine environment incorporating an accelerated weathering study and an aging estimation

Researchers tested a handheld portable FTIR spectrometer for rapidly identifying micro and mesosized plastic debris on beaches and in the marine environment. Portable FTIR devices enable fast field identification of plastic polymer types, making marine litter surveys more efficient.

2019 Repository@Hull (Worktribe) (University of Hull) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging of microplastics: Effects of chemical and physical processes on spectral signatures and detection capabilities

Researchers evaluated short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging for rapid microplastic detection and polymer identification, testing the effects of various physical and chemical weathering agents on spectral signatures and finding the technique effective for identifying multiple polymer types in complex samples.

2025 Journal of environmental chemical engineering
Article Tier 2

Application of fluorescent microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for analysis of microplastics in Can Gio seawater

Researchers validated the combined use of fluorescent microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for detecting and identifying microplastics in marine environmental samples. The dual-technique approach improved detection sensitivity and chemical identification accuracy compared to either method used alone.

2024 Journal of Science and Technology 1 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

Exploratory analysis of hyperspectral FTIR data obtained from environmental microplastics samples

Hyperspectral infrared imaging is an effective method for finding and characterizing microplastics in environmental samples, and this paper explores analytical approaches for extracting useful information from the large datasets it generates. Better analytical tools make it faster and more accurate to identify and classify microplastics in real-world samples.

2020 Analytical Methods 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of a Hybrid Fusion Classification Process for Identification of Microplastics Based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

A hybrid machine learning approach was developed to improve the identification of microplastics using infrared spectroscopy, overcoming the limitations of standard library-matching methods. The new method better handles weathered or contaminated microplastic particles, which are harder to identify using conventional approaches.

2020 Applied Spectroscopy 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimizing microplastic analysis through comparative FTIR and raman spectroscopy: Addressing challenges in environmental degradation studies

Researchers compared FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for analyzing degraded microplastic polymers in environmental samples, evaluating how polymer aging affects identification accuracy. The study found that spectral databases based on pristine polymers can misidentify weathered microplastics, calling for updated reference libraries.

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

Quantifying UV-Driven Aging of Sub-10 µm Airborne Microplastics with High-Resolution µFTIR-ATR Imaging

Researchers developed a high-resolution micro-FTIR imaging method to quantify UV-driven aging of airborne microplastics smaller than 10 micrometers. The technique overcomes previous limitations in measuring oxidation of PET and other polymers, enabling better characterization of how atmospheric weathering transforms small airborne microplastic particles over time.

2026 Atmosphere