Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Regression analysis for the determination of microplastics in sediments using differential scanning calorimetry

Researchers developed a differential scanning calorimetry method for rapid identification and quantification of microplastics in sediment samples. The study demonstrated that this thermo-analytical approach could detect multiple polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET in sand samples, offering a faster and more cost-efficient alternative to traditional microplastic analysis methods.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

A facile approach to microplastic identification and quantification using differential scanning calorimetry

Researchers developed a simpler differential scanning calorimetry method to identify and quantify six types of semi-crystalline microplastic polymers in water samples, offering a lower-cost alternative to μFTIR that also provides mass concentration data.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): An important tool for polymer identification and characterization of plastic marine debris

Researchers optimized a differential scanning calorimetry method for identifying plastic polymers in marine debris and built a reference library from over 200 polymer standards. They established temperature-based criteria for distinguishing between similar plastic types that are often confused during visual identification. The study provides a practical, reliable tool for improving the accuracy of polymer identification in plastic pollution research.

2024 Environmental Pollution 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal analysis and enhanced visual technique for assessment of microplastics in fish from an Urban Harbor, Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Researchers applied an enhanced visual counting technique combined with combustion analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to assess microplastics in fish digestive tracts from Alexandria's Eastern Harbor, Egypt, detecting seven thermoplastic polymer types in all fish samples in what was the first such quantification study in Egypt.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Fast and easy quantification of semi-crystalline microplastics in exemplary environmental matrices by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

This study demonstrated that differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) can quantify semi-crystalline microplastics (PE, PET, PP, PA6) in environmental matrices, with pre-heating steps improving detection accuracy and reducing interference from organic impurities.

2021 Chemical Engineering Journal 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and distribution of plastic particles along Alexandria beaches, Mediterranean Coast of Egypt, using microscopy and thermal analysis techniques

Researchers characterized plastic particles in sediments and surface water along Alexandria beaches in Egypt, finding mean concentrations of 389 items per kilogram dry sediment and 457 items per cubic meter in surface water. Thermogravimetric and calorimetric analysis identified 10 polymer types, with low-density polyethylene dominant, and linked contamination primarily to single-use plastic bags, detergent packaging, and seafaring activities.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of electrostatic separation and differential scanning calorimetry for microplastic analysis in river sediments

Researchers developed a combined method integrating electrostatic separation, density separation, and differential scanning calorimetry for microplastic analysis in river sediments, demonstrating that the approach can process 100-1000 g sample masses and achieved 98% mass reduction in sand matrices and 70-78% in sediments before DSC polymer identification.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling microplastic with polyethylene (PE) spherical particles: a differential scanning calorimetry approach for quantification

Researchers developed a thermal analysis approach to detect and quantify polyethylene microplastics in environmental samples, offering an alternative to optical methods. Accurate quantification tools are essential for understanding the true scale of microplastic contamination in soil and water.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastics in complex environmental matrices using a tiered approach with modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC)

Researchers developed a method using modulated differential scanning calorimetry to quantify microplastics in biosolids and soil, achieving 1.4-2.5 times higher sensitivity than conventional thermal analysis with detection limits as low as 7 micrograms per gram. They demonstrated an average recovery rate of 93% for four common plastic types extracted from biosolid samples. The study suggests this thermal approach, combined with complementary spectroscopic techniques, provides a reliable and cost-effective tool for measuring microplastics in complex environmental samples.

2025 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and quantitation of semi-crystalline microplastics using image analysis and differential scanning calorimetry

Researchers developed an analytical workflow combining optical microscopy with image analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for identifying and quantifying semi-crystalline microplastics including LDPE, HDPE, PP, and PET. The study found that particle size significantly affects DSC signal quality, requiring sieve pre-treatment to achieve reliable identification and mass quantitation.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics identification in water by TGA–DSC Method: Maharloo Lake, Iran

A TGA-DSC methodology was applied to detect microplastics in water samples from Maharloo Lake, Iran, differentiating labile, recalcitrant, and refractory organic matter fractions, and demonstrating the method's applicability to real aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Libyan Port Sediments: Today's Findings and Environmental Impacts

Researchers used FTIR spectroscopy to identify and characterize microplastics in sediment samples collected from three port locations in west Libya near the Mediterranean Sea, providing baseline data on microplastic pollution types and environmental impacts in Libyan coastal environments.

2025
Article Tier 2

Dual-method analysis of microplastics in lake and wastewater treatment effluents: comparison of micro-FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry technique

Researchers compared micro-FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for detecting microplastics in lake water and wastewater treatment effluents, finding that both methods showed similar pollution trends but differed in specific results, with micro-FTIR identifying polymer types and DSC providing superior mass quantification from large-volume samples.

2025 Water Research X
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

Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Effluents of Wastewater Treatment Plant by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

Researchers used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to identify and quantify microplastics including polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and PET in effluents from three wastewater treatment plants. Plants with only preliminary treatment removed less than 58% of microplastics, while those with secondary activated sludge treatment achieved 90 to 96.9% removal efficiency.

2022 Sustainability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparison of microscopic and spectroscopic identification methods for analysis of microplastics in environmental samples

Researchers compared microscopic and spectroscopic methods for analyzing microplastics in environmental samples, evaluating accuracy and efficiency and finding that spectroscopic confirmation substantially reduces misidentification errors.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 820 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on primary microplastics in cosmetics: their isolation, spectral and thermal analysis

Researchers analyzed eight personal care and cosmetic products to isolate and characterize intentionally added microplastics. They found that the standard combination of FTIR and Raman spectroscopy was not always sufficient for accurate detection, and that thermal analysis via DSC proved particularly useful for identifying microplastics when spectroscopic methods fell short.

2025 Analytical Methods 5 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

Determination of microplastic polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in environmental samples using thermal analysis (TGA-DSC)

This study developed a thermal analysis method using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to determine the mass concentration of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in environmental samples. The approach is cost-effective and straightforward, offering an alternative to the more expensive spectroscopic methods commonly used for microplastic identification.

2016 The Science of The Total Environment 404 citations
Article Tier 2

The marine nano- and microplastics characterisation by SEM-EDX: The potential of the method in comparison with various physical and chemical approaches

Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) was evaluated as a method for characterizing marine micro- and nanoplastics, and compared with optical, spectroscopic, and chemical approaches. The study finds that SEM-EDX offers complementary information on particle morphology and surface chemistry that aids in identifying plastic particles at small sizes.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 236 citations
Article Tier 2

Fast identification of microplastics in complex environmental samples by a thermal degradation method

Researchers developed a fast identification method for microplastics in complex environmental samples using thermal analysis, offering a high-throughput alternative to spectroscopic techniques for polymer identification.

2017 Chemosphere 598 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer Type Identification of Marine Plastic Litter Using a Miniature Near-Infrared Spectrometer (MicroNIR)

Researchers tested a miniature near-infrared spectrometer (MicroNIR) for rapidly identifying polymer types in marine plastic litter collected from beaches, finding it could accurately distinguish common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. Low-cost, portable identification tools are important for large-scale monitoring of marine plastic pollution.

2020 Applied Sciences 59 citations
Article Tier 2

A machine learning algorithm for high throughput identification of FTIR spectra: Application on microplastics collected in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers developed a machine learning method to automatically identify the chemical composition of microplastics from FTIR spectroscopy data collected during the Tara Mediterranean expedition. The algorithm performed well for common polymers like polyethylene and was applied to classify over 4,000 unidentified microplastic spectra. The study demonstrates that automated identification tools can significantly speed up large-scale microplastic pollution surveys while maintaining acceptable accuracy.

2019 Chemosphere 172 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid Identification of Beached Marine Plastics Pellets Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: A Promising Tool for the Quantification of Coastal Pollution

Researchers applied laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis to rapidly identify and classify beached plastic pellets by polymer type, achieving over 80% accuracy and demonstrating its potential as a fast, field-deployable tool for coastal pollution monitoring.

2022 Sensors 30 citations