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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Global‐Scale Detection of Plastic From Space With the EMIT Imaging Spectrometer
ClearWorldwide detection of plastic from space with the EMIT imaging spectrometer
Researchers used NASA's EMIT imaging spectrometer aboard the International Space Station to detect distinctive plastic absorption signatures across a 380-2500 nm wavelength range, demonstrating the first capability for worldwide detection of plastic pollution from space.
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.
Measuring Marine Plastic Debris from Space: Initial Assessment of Observation Requirements
This paper assesses what satellite observation capabilities would be needed to meaningfully monitor marine plastic debris from space, outlining requirements for spatial resolution, spectral bands, and revisit frequency. Developing such a remote sensing capability could revolutionize global tracking of plastic pollution at scales not achievable through ship-based surveys.
Potential of Optical Spaceborne Sensors for the Differentiation of Plastics in the Environment
This study evaluated the potential of optical spaceborne sensors to differentiate plastic types in the environment, assessing whether satellite remote sensing can be used to map and monitor plastic pollution in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems at scale.
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.
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.
Proof of concept for a new sensor to monitor marine litter from space
Researchers analyzed 300,000 satellite images of the Mediterranean Sea to track floating marine litter over time, finding that heavy rainfall events drive most litter inputs from land while coastal currents and wind determine how it spreads. The study demonstrates that satellites can reliably map pollution hotspots and detect seasonal trends, making space-based monitoring a practical new tool for managing ocean plastic pollution.
Evaluating Microplastic Pollution Along the Dubai Coast: An Empirical Model Combining On-Site Sampling and Sentinel-2 Remote Sensing Data
Researchers collected coastal water samples from Dubai and combined laboratory spectral measurements with Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to build a model that estimates microplastic concentrations from space. The model achieved an R² of 87% and was used to map microplastic pollution trends along the Dubai coast from 2018 to 2021. This remote-sensing approach demonstrates a scalable method for monitoring coastal microplastic pollution over large areas without intensive fieldwork.
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.
Detection of Waste Plastics in the Environment: Application of Copernicus Earth Observation data
Researchers used free Copernicus Earth observation satellite data and machine learning to detect waste plastic in marine and terrestrial environments at a large scale. The classifier was trained on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data and performed well for detecting larger plastic accumulations. Satellite-based detection could enable continuous, wide-area monitoring of plastic pollution at a fraction of the cost of ground surveys.
Plastic film residues on cropland: monitoring soil contamination through optical remote sensing
Researchers used optical remote sensing to monitor plastic film residues on agricultural cropland, demonstrating that satellite-based methods can detect surface plastic contamination across large areas. The study provides a scalable approach for tracking agricultural plastic residues — a major secondary microplastic source in soils — without the labor intensity of field sampling.
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.
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.
Detection of Waste Plastics in the Environment: Application of Copernicus Earth Observation Data
Researchers developed a machine learning classifier using free Copernicus satellite data to detect plastic waste — including greenhouses, tyres, and waste sites — in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, achieving high accuracy and enabling low-cost large-scale plastic pollution mapping.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic Pollution In Agricultural Lands And Its Environmental Impact Assessed Through Remote Sensing
Researchers combined field sampling and remote sensing to assess microplastic pollution in agricultural soils across three Indian locations, finding microplastics in both surface and subsurface layers and correlating pollution levels with land use patterns detectable by satellite imagery.
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.
Concentration, anisotropic and apparent colour effects on optical reflectance properties of virgin and ocean-harvested plastics
Researchers measured the light reflectance of virgin and ocean-collected plastic samples across a wide range of wavelengths to build a spectral reference library that could support satellite-based detection of ocean plastic debris. They found that weathered ocean plastics share distinct light absorption features and lower reflectance than new plastics, offering a potential path toward identifying plastic type and coverage from space.
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.
Examining the Feasibility of Passive Satellite Remote Sensing of Ocean Microplastics With New High-Resolution Multiple Scattering Simulations
Researchers examined the feasibility of detecting ocean microplastics using passive satellite remote sensing by combining in situ data analysis with Mie scattering calculations and advanced multiple scattering simulations, evaluating whether spectral signatures of microplastic particles are detectable against the ocean surface optical background.
Detecting Microplastics Pollution in World Oceans Using Sar Remote Sensing
This study explored whether satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging could detect ocean plastic pollution from space, finding that plastic-covered water patches have distinct radar signatures. Remote sensing from satellites could dramatically expand monitoring coverage for ocean microplastic accumulation zones.