Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in different water samples (seawater, freshwater, and wastewater): Methodology approach for characterization using micro-FTIR spectroscopy

Researchers developed a standardized methodology for detecting and characterizing small microplastics (10-500 micrometers) in different water types using micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The study tested various sample preparation approaches for seawater, freshwater, and wastewater, establishing reliable protocols for rinsing, digestion, and microplastic collection that can be used to assess treatment plant removal efficiency.

2023 Water Research 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Danish wastewater: Sources, occurrences and fate

Researchers evaluated the role of Danish wastewater treatment plants in microplastic emissions by analyzing samples from 10 WWTPs, associated sludge, and farmland soils using FTIR imaging, identifying the amounts, polymer types, and potential sources of microplastics entering the environment.

2017 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Spectroscopic analysis of microplastic contaminants in an urban wastewater treatment plant from Seoul, South Korea

Researchers performed systematic multi-spectroscopic analysis of microplastics at influent and effluent stages of a metropolitan wastewater treatment plant in Seoul, South Korea, using FTIR and microscopic methods to characterize MP type, size, and polymer composition. The study quantified treatment efficiency for MP removal and identified the dominant polymer types entering and leaving the WWTP, informing efforts to reduce microplastic discharge to urban waterways.

2020 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the effluent of a German wastewater treatment plant ‒ analysis with μ-FTIR spectroscopy

A German wastewater treatment plant was found to release microplastics in its treated effluent, with fibers as the dominant type. The study used detailed chemical characterization and identified wastewater plants as ongoing point sources of microplastic pollution entering aquatic environments.

2020 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut)
Article Tier 2

Microplastiche: classificazione, identificazione e rimozione all'interno degli impianti di trattamento delle acque reflue

This Italian-language paper reviews how microplastics are classified, identified using techniques like FTIR spectroscopy, and removed in wastewater treatment plants. Conventional treatment plants remove a substantial portion of microplastics but still allow many particles to pass through into the environment. The review calls for better treatment technologies and standardized methods to assess microplastic removal efficiency.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis, Occurrence, and Degradation of Microplastics in the Aqueous Environment

This book chapter reviews the major analytical techniques used to detect and quantify microplastics in freshwater environments, covering sampling strategies, sample preparation, and identification methods such as FT-IR spectroscopy. It also discusses the wide diversity of polymer types found in aquatic systems and how they influence degradation and environmental risk.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 293 citations
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

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

Microplastics in two German wastewater treatment plants: Year-long effluent analysis with FTIR and Py-GC/MS

Researchers analyzed microplastics in the effluents of two German wastewater treatment plants monthly over one year, revealing temporal variations in microplastic concentrations and polymer compositions entering receiving river systems.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 103 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid analytical method for characterization and quantification of microplastics in tap water using a Fourier-transform infrared microscope

Researchers developed a faster FTIR microscope method for analyzing microplastics across the whole filtration area and applied it to 42 tap water samples from five countries, finding mean concentrations of 39 particles per liter with polyester fibers and PVC fragments among the most common types.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and Characterization of Microplastics in Soil and Dust from Urban Road Surface

Researchers detected and characterized microplastics in road dust and soil from urban surfaces in Jambi City using FTIR, SEM-EDS, and binocular microscopy, identifying fiber, fragment, and other morphological forms and documenting the polymer types present in urban terrestrial environments.

2025 Engineering headway
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Abundance and Composition in Western Lake Superior As Determined via Microscopy, Pyr-GC/MS, and FTIR

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in western Lake Superior surface waters using microscopy, pyrolysis-gas chromatography, and FTIR spectroscopy. Fibers were the most common particle type found, and polyethylene was among the most frequently identified polymers. The study establishes baseline microplastic contamination levels in the Great Lakes and demonstrates the value of combining multiple analytical methods for accurate characterization.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 390 citations
Article Tier 2

Release of Microplastics from Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants to Aquatic Ecosystems in Acapulco, Mexico

Researchers evaluated microplastic presence and removal at three wastewater treatment plants in Acapulco, Mexico, using optical microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy to characterize particles retained on 38-micron and 150-micron filters. The plants removed 82.5-98.7% of microplastics from influent streams, yet still released millions of microplastic particles daily into aquatic ecosystems, with polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and PVC as the dominant polymer types detected.

2023 Preprints.org 5 citations
Article Tier 2

An Integrated Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Coastal Surface Water and Sediment of Japan

Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of microplastic pollution in surface water and sediment at 15 coastal locations across Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. They extracted over 53,000 suspected microplastic particles and identified the most common polymers using FTIR spectroscopy. The study provides an integrated baseline dataset for understanding the extent and distribution of microplastic contamination along Japanese coastlines.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Estonian wastewater treatment plants: First evaluation of baseline concentrations and stage-wise removal efficiency

Researchers sampled six Estonian wastewater treatment plants to establish baseline microplastic concentrations in influents and effluents and assess stage-wise removal efficiency. At least 78% of microscopically identified MPs were confirmed by µFTIR spectroscopy, with at least 50% removed during secondary treatment, providing the first baseline data for Estonian WWTP microplastic discharge into the Baltic Sea.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Monitoring at Different Stages in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Reflectance Micro-FTIR Imaging

Researchers used reflectance micro-FTIR imaging to monitor microplastic presence at multiple treatment stages within a wastewater treatment plant, addressing the challenge of analyzing MPs in biogenic organic matter-rich matrices. The study mapped how microplastic identity, abundance, and size distribution changed through primary and secondary treatment, providing insight into WWTP contributions to aquatic microplastic pollution.

2020 Frontiers in Environmental Science 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Analytical tools in advancing microplastics research for identification and quantification across environmental media: from sample to insight

Researchers reviewed the analytical tools most commonly used for identifying and quantifying microplastics, focusing on FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as the two primary methods. The review compared their strengths and limitations and provided guidance for choosing between them based on particle size, sample matrix, and research objectives.

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

Insights Into Microplastics Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystem: a Short Review of Sampling and Analysis Methods

This review summarizes current methods for sampling and analyzing microplastics in rivers and estuaries, including techniques like FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for polymer identification. The authors highlight the need for standardized sampling and analysis methods to ensure that microplastic data across different studies are reliable and comparable.

2024 Jurnal Teknologi 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and Prevention of Microplastics Pollution in Water: Current Perspectives and Future Directions

This review surveyed current and emerging analytical methods for characterizing microplastics in water, covering Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, pyrolysis-GC/MS, and various microscopy approaches, and discussed prevention strategies including wastewater treatment, policy measures, and product redesign. The authors identify chemical identification of MP type as a persistent analytical challenge limiting progress in MP removal and regulation.

2019 ACS Omega 376 citations
Article Tier 2

Source, Identification, Distribution, and Abundance of Microplastics in Rivers and Their Ecological Impacts: a Review

This review synthesizes global data on microplastic sources, identification methods, distribution in rivers, and ecological impacts, covering studies from the past two decades. It finds MPs widespread in riverine systems (up to 120 MPs/L in water, 13,607 MPs/kg in sediment), with FTIR and Raman spectroscopy as dominant identification tools and PE/PP fibers and fragments as the most common polymer types.

2025 Environment & Ecosystem science