Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques

Microplastics (MPs) have been found in aqueous environments ranging from rural ponds and lakes to the deep ocean. Despite the ubiquity of MPs, our ability to characterize MPs in the environment is limited by the lack of technologies for rapidly and accurately identifying and quantifying MPs. Althoug...

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Main Authors: Blevins, Morgan G., Allen, Harry L., Colson, Beckett C., Cook, Anna-Marie, Greenbaum, Alexandra Z., Hemami, Sheila S., Hollmann, Joseph, Kim, Ernest, LaRocca, Ava A., Markoski, Kenneth A., Miraglia, Peter, Mott, Vienna L., Robberson, William M., Santos, Jose A., Sprachman, Melissa M., Swierk, Patricia, Tate, Steven, Witinski, Mark F., Kratchman, Louis B., Michel, Anna P. M.
Other Authors: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Format: Article
Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2021
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/133197
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author Blevins, Morgan G.
Allen, Harry L.
Colson, Beckett C.
Cook, Anna-Marie
Greenbaum, Alexandra Z.
Hemami, Sheila S.
Hollmann, Joseph
Kim, Ernest
LaRocca, Ava A.
Markoski, Kenneth A.
Miraglia, Peter
Mott, Vienna L.
Robberson, William M.
Santos, Jose A.
Sprachman, Melissa M.
Swierk, Patricia
Tate, Steven
Witinski, Mark F.
Kratchman, Louis B.
Michel, Anna P. M.
author2 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
author_facet Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Blevins, Morgan G.
Allen, Harry L.
Colson, Beckett C.
Cook, Anna-Marie
Greenbaum, Alexandra Z.
Hemami, Sheila S.
Hollmann, Joseph
Kim, Ernest
LaRocca, Ava A.
Markoski, Kenneth A.
Miraglia, Peter
Mott, Vienna L.
Robberson, William M.
Santos, Jose A.
Sprachman, Melissa M.
Swierk, Patricia
Tate, Steven
Witinski, Mark F.
Kratchman, Louis B.
Michel, Anna P. M.
author_sort Blevins, Morgan G.
collection MIT
description Microplastics (MPs) have been found in aqueous environments ranging from rural ponds and lakes to the deep ocean. Despite the ubiquity of MPs, our ability to characterize MPs in the environment is limited by the lack of technologies for rapidly and accurately identifying and quantifying MPs. Although standards exist for MP sample collection and preparation, methods of MP analysis vary considerably and produce data with a broad range of data content and quality. The need for extensive analysis-specific sample preparation in current technology approaches has hindered the emergence of a single technique which can operate on aqueous samples in the field, rather than on dried laboratory preparations. In this perspective, we consider MP measurement technologies with a focus on both their eventual field-deployability and their respective data products (e.g., MP particle count, size, and/or polymer type). We present preliminary demonstrations of several prospective MP measurement techniques, with an eye towards developing a solution or solutions that can transition from the laboratory to the field. Specifically, experimental results are presented from multiple prototype systems that measure various physical properties of MPs: pyrolysis-differential mobility spectroscopy, short-wave infrared imaging, aqueous Nile Red labeling and counting, acoustophoresis, ultrasound, impedance spectroscopy, and dielectrophoresis.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1331972023-08-11T17:31:00Z Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques Blevins, Morgan G. Allen, Harry L. Colson, Beckett C. Cook, Anna-Marie Greenbaum, Alexandra Z. Hemami, Sheila S. Hollmann, Joseph Kim, Ernest LaRocca, Ava A. Markoski, Kenneth A. Miraglia, Peter Mott, Vienna L. Robberson, William M. Santos, Jose A. Sprachman, Melissa M. Swierk, Patricia Tate, Steven Witinski, Mark F. Kratchman, Louis B. Michel, Anna P. M. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Microplastics (MPs) have been found in aqueous environments ranging from rural ponds and lakes to the deep ocean. Despite the ubiquity of MPs, our ability to characterize MPs in the environment is limited by the lack of technologies for rapidly and accurately identifying and quantifying MPs. Although standards exist for MP sample collection and preparation, methods of MP analysis vary considerably and produce data with a broad range of data content and quality. The need for extensive analysis-specific sample preparation in current technology approaches has hindered the emergence of a single technique which can operate on aqueous samples in the field, rather than on dried laboratory preparations. In this perspective, we consider MP measurement technologies with a focus on both their eventual field-deployability and their respective data products (e.g., MP particle count, size, and/or polymer type). We present preliminary demonstrations of several prospective MP measurement techniques, with an eye towards developing a solution or solutions that can transition from the laboratory to the field. Specifically, experimental results are presented from multiple prototype systems that measure various physical properties of MPs: pyrolysis-differential mobility spectroscopy, short-wave infrared imaging, aqueous Nile Red labeling and counting, acoustophoresis, ultrasound, impedance spectroscopy, and dielectrophoresis. 2021-10-27T18:17:57Z 2021-10-27T18:17:57Z 2021-05-19 2021-05-24T15:04:13Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/133197 Sensors 21 (10): 3532 (2021) PUBLISHER_CC http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s21103532 Creative Commons Attribution https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
spellingShingle Blevins, Morgan G.
Allen, Harry L.
Colson, Beckett C.
Cook, Anna-Marie
Greenbaum, Alexandra Z.
Hemami, Sheila S.
Hollmann, Joseph
Kim, Ernest
LaRocca, Ava A.
Markoski, Kenneth A.
Miraglia, Peter
Mott, Vienna L.
Robberson, William M.
Santos, Jose A.
Sprachman, Melissa M.
Swierk, Patricia
Tate, Steven
Witinski, Mark F.
Kratchman, Louis B.
Michel, Anna P. M.
Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques
title Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques
title_full Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques
title_fullStr Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques
title_full_unstemmed Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques
title_short Field-Portable Microplastic Sensing in Aqueous Environments: A Perspective on Emerging Techniques
title_sort field portable microplastic sensing in aqueous environments a perspective on emerging techniques
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/133197
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