Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Combination of Machine Learning Algorithms for Marine Plastic Litter Detection Exploiting Hyperspectral PRISMA Data

Researchers applied a combination of machine learning algorithms to hyperspectral satellite imagery from the PRISMA satellite to detect marine plastic litter along coastlines and ocean surfaces. The multi-algorithm approach improved detection accuracy over single-model methods and demonstrated the potential for satellite-based monitoring of ocean plastic pollution at scale.

2022 Remote Sensing 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Concept for a hyperspectral remote sensing algorithm for floating marine macro plastics

Researchers developed a reflectance model for how sunlight interacts with floating plastic debris on the ocean surface, accounting for plastic color, transparency, and shape, as a foundational step toward a hyperspectral remote sensing algorithm capable of detecting marine macroplastics from aircraft or satellite.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancing floating macroplastic detection from space using hyperspectral imagery

Researchers evaluated the use of hyperspectral satellite and airborne imagery to detect floating plastic debris in rivers and oceans, addressing major challenges related to plastic spectral properties in field conditions. Remote sensing tools for plastic detection are important for large-scale monitoring of the macro-scale plastic that eventually becomes microplastics.

2021 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance of Plastic-Litter in Hyperspectral Imagery Using Spectral Unmixing in Coastal Environment

This study tested whether hyperspectral satellite or aerial imagery combined with spectral unmixing algorithms can detect and map microplastic litter in coastal environments. Results showed the approach can identify plastic fragments smaller than a pixel by analyzing mixed spectral signals, offering a scalable monitoring tool. Remote sensing methods like this could greatly reduce the cost and labor of tracking coastal plastic pollution at large spatial scales.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering Plastic Litter Spectral Signatures: A Comparative Study of Hyperspectral Band Selection Algorithms

This paper is not primarily about microplastics; it focuses on hyperspectral band-selection algorithms to identify the optical spectral signatures of plastic litter under water, primarily as a remote-sensing detection methodology. While relevant to plastic pollution monitoring, it does not assess microplastic abundance, distribution, or ecological/health effects.

2023 Remote Sensing 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Hyperspectral ultraviolet to shortwave infrared characteristics of marine-harvested, washed-ashore and virgin plastics

Researchers characterized the hyperspectral optical properties of marine-harvested plastic litter across ultraviolet to shortwave infrared wavelengths, generating spectral signatures needed to support remote sensing detection of floating plastic debris. The spectral library produced contributes to developing satellite and airborne monitoring systems for large-scale ocean plastic surveillance.

2020 Earth system science data 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating Detection of Floating Plastic Litter from Space Using Sentinel-2 Imagery

Researchers tested whether Sentinel-2 satellite imagery could detect floating plastic debris on the ocean surface, using a 3 by 10 meter plastic bottle target deployed off Cyprus. A newly developed Plastic Index proved more effective than existing indices at identifying the target, offering a promising tool for large-scale ocean plastic monitoring from space.

2020 Remote Sensing 168 citations
Article Tier 2

On advances, challenges and potentials of remote sensing image analysis in marine debris and suspected plastics monitoring

This review evaluates the current state of satellite and aerial remote sensing for detecting marine plastic debris, noting that while progress has been made using optical and hyperspectral imaging, significant challenges remain including low detection resolution for small particles, confusion with other floating materials, and the need for better machine learning algorithms. The paper is relevant to the microplastics field as large-scale monitoring tools are needed to track plastic pollution distribution and inform cleanup and policy efforts, though direct detection of microplastics (<5 mm) from orbit remains largely out of reach with current technology.

2023 Frontiers in Remote Sensing 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Hyperspectral Imaging and Data Analysis for Detecting and Determining Plastic Contamination in Seawater Filtrates

Researchers tested whether hyperspectral imaging combined with multivariate data analysis could detect and identify plastic particles on filters from seawater samples, finding the method could locate plastic contamination and distinguish polymer types. This approach could offer a faster and more automated alternative to manual microscopy for environmental microplastic monitoring.

2016 Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancing Floating Macroplastic Detection from Space Using Experimental Hyperspectral Imagery

Researchers tested experimental hyperspectral airborne imagery to detect floating macroplastics in rivers and the ocean, demonstrating that combining spectral and spatial features improves detection accuracy over single-band approaches.

2021 Remote Sensing 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Hyperspectral Imaging for Detecting Plastic Debris on Shoreline Sands to Support Recycling

Researchers explored the use of hyperspectral imaging technology to detect and identify different types of plastic debris on beach sand. The method can distinguish between various polymer types, supporting more efficient recycling and cleanup operations. The study demonstrates a non-contact detection approach that could help prevent further degradation of shoreline plastics into microplastics.

2024 Applied Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying Marine Plastic Debris in a Beach Environment Using Spectral Analysis

Researchers analyzed shortwave infrared reflectance spectra of weathered marine plastic debris on sandy beaches, finding that polymer type significantly influences detection capability at sub-pixel surface covers relevant to remote sensing applications.

2021 Remote Sensing 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Microplastic Classification by Hyperspectral Imaging: Case Studies from the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Western Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay

Using advanced hyperspectral imaging across water samples from four ocean regions, researchers characterized the polymer types and physical dimensions of collected microplastics, finding polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene as the most common materials. Hyperspectral imaging can analyze many particles quickly and simultaneously capture morphological data, making it a powerful tool for large-scale environmental monitoring programs.

2024 Applied Sciences 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Remote Sensing of Sea Surface Artificial Floating Plastic Targets with Sentinel-2 and Unmanned Aerial Systems (Plastic Litter Project 2019)

Researchers tested remote sensing of floating plastic targets in a real marine environment using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and unmanned aerial systems during the 2019 Plastic Litter Project, collecting reference spectral data to help calibrate detection algorithms. The study provided a validated dataset characterizing the spectral behavior of floating plastics to support future remote monitoring efforts.

2020 Remote Sensing 105 citations
Article Tier 2

An effective strategy for the monitoring of microplastics in complex aquatic matrices: Exploiting the potential of near infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI)

Researchers developed a near infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) method for rapid monitoring of microplastics in complex marine matrices, demonstrating effective detection and polymer identification that overcomes the time and cost limitations of conventional spectroscopic analysis approaches.

2021 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Hyperspectral reflectance of pristine, ocean weathered and biofouled plastics from a dry to wet and submerged state

Researchers built an open-access hyperspectral library covering pristine, ocean-weathered, and artificially biofouled plastics measured from dry through submerged states, filling a gap in reference data needed for satellite and drone-based plastic pollution monitoring. The library is particularly valuable because biofouling alters a plastic's optical signature and makes remote identification much harder, so having reference spectra for fouled materials improves algorithm accuracy for detecting plastic debris in real-world ocean environments.

2023 Earth system science data 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastic litter from oceans by an innovative approach based on hyperspectral imaging

Hyperspectral imaging was developed as an innovative method for characterizing marine microplastic litter collected from diverse ocean regions including the Arctic and Mediterranean, enabling rapid spectral mapping of polymer composition across samples. The approach offers a high-throughput alternative to conventional spectroscopic methods for analyzing large numbers of environmental microplastic samples.

2018 Waste Management 194 citations
Article Tier 2

Hyperspectral remote sensing as an environmental plastic pollution detection approach to determine occurrence of microplastics in diverse environments

Researchers tested whether hyperspectral remote sensing technology could detect microplastics mixed into different environmental surfaces like soil, water, concrete, and vegetation. Using near-infrared and short-wave infrared imaging, they achieved over 90% accuracy in detecting and classifying six common plastic types at concentrations as low as 0.15%. The study suggests that remote sensing could become a practical, large-scale tool for monitoring microplastic pollution across diverse environments.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards the Spectral Mapping of Plastic Debris on Beaches

This paper reviews the use of remote sensing (satellite and aerial imaging) to detect and map plastic debris on beaches. Advances in spectral imaging could allow large-scale automated monitoring of coastal plastic pollution, which is currently labor-intensive and limited in coverage.

2021 Remote Sensing 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Indoor spectroradiometric characterization of plastic litters commonly polluting the Mediterranean Sea: toward the application of multispectral imagery

Researchers used a laboratory spectrometer to measure the light reflectance of common plastic types found in the Mediterranean Sea as a step toward developing remote sensing methods to detect marine plastic pollution from satellites or aircraft. Aerial monitoring of plastic pollution could revolutionize our ability to track and manage large-scale ocean plastic contamination.

2020 Scientific Reports 44 citations
Article Tier 2

A Preliminary Study on the Utilization of Hyperspectral Imaging for the On-Soil Recognition of Plastic Waste Resulting from Agricultural Activities

Researchers explored the use of near-infrared hyperspectral imaging to detect and identify plastic waste in agricultural soils. They developed a classification model that could distinguish different types of plastic from soil and assess the degradation state of the material. The study demonstrates that hyperspectral imaging combined with chemometric analysis offers a rapid, non-destructive approach for monitoring plastic contamination in agricultural environments.

2023 Land 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Finding Plastic Patches in Coastal Waters using Optical Satellite Data

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that floating macroplastic patches can be detected in optical data from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites, validating detections against ground-truth observations and identifying characteristics that distinguish plastic from other floating material.

2020 Scientific Reports 304 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid shipboard measurement of net-collected marine microplastic polymer types using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging

Researchers developed a rapid near-infrared hyperspectral imaging method for identifying polymer types in ship-collected marine microplastic samples, achieving results in minutes compared to hours for conventional methods and enabling higher-throughput ocean monitoring.

2023 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Spectrometric Detection Of Microplastics In The Environment: A Novel Approach Using Hyperspectral Imaging System

This study developed a novel spectrometric approach to detect microplastics in environmental samples, combining spectral analysis with machine learning classification. The method enabled rapid, accurate identification of multiple polymer types without extensive sample preparation.

2024 UND Scholarly Commons (University of North Dakota)