Work

Portable microwave sensor system for real-time detection of microplastics in seawater

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: With the rapid development of the global plastic industry, microplastic pollution has become an increasingly serious environmental concern. However, standardized technologies for convenient, accurate, and real-time microplastic detection are limited. To address this challenge, a microwave resonant sensor with a complete microplastic detection system equipped with a Bluetooth module for remote real-time monitoring of microplastic concentrations was developed. Microplastic concentrations were measured in deionized water containing polyvinyl chloride powder (particle size: 6.5 ± 1 μm), simulated artificial seawater, and real seawater samples. The integration of the microfluidic system mitigated the interference caused by the complex seawater matrix, thereby ensuring stable and reliable microwave-based detection of microplastic concentrations. The system demonstrated high repeatability for predicting the concentration of microplastics in seawater samples. The proposed method demonstrated a recognition rate of over 96% with a tolerance of ±0.01 mg/mL, while maintaining a minimum detection limit of 48.72 ng/mL. To improve the prediction accuracy, a convolutional neural network algorithm was employed to predict microplastic concentrations based on the test results, with the predicted and actual concentrations being highly consistent. Finally, a compact and portable seawater microplastic monitoring system was developed by integrating the microwave sensor with Bluetooth and embedded systems, enabling real-time microplastic concentration monitoring in marine environments.

Source: Microsystems & Nanoengineering

DOI: 10.1038/s41378-026-01413-y