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Characterization of Nile Red-Stained Microplastics through Fluorescence Spectroscopy



Details

  • Journal Title:
    Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
  • Personal Author:
  • NOAA Program & Office:
    Sea Grant
  • Description:
    Microplastics (MPs), typically defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, are pervasive in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. There is a need for rapid, portable, low-cost detection systems to assess health and environmental risks. Fluorescent tagging with Nile Red (NR) has emerged as a popular detection method, but variations in fluorescent emissions based on NR solvent, plastic polymer, excitation wavelength, and additives complicate standardization. In this study, seven plastic samples stained with acetone-based NR were analyzed using a fluorescent spectrometer to identify optimal emission peaks across UV-Vis excitation wavelengths. These findings aid in selecting appropriate excitation wavelengths and optical filters for future detection systems. Additionally, a straightforward polymer identification scheme was validated against field-collected plastic samples, whose material composition was confirmed via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. This work contributes towards developing accessible microplastic detection technologies by characterizing the fluorescent properties of NR-stained plastics and enhancing the capability for effective environmental monitoring. Future research will expand the dataset to include diverse plastics with varying additives and weathering, and incorporate computer-vision tools for automated data processing and polymer identification.
  • Source:
    Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 12(8), 1403
  • DOI:
  • ISSN:
    2077-1312
  • Format:
    pdf
  • Publisher:
    MDPI AG
  • Document Type:
    Journal Article
  • License:
  • Rights Information:
    CC BY
  • Compliance:
    Library
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:e7ffb31e8c323ae1c1a17d0dbd26edb5fbff3c2ac33035274238b7c6a1ffaf15a7452bda408b84c7245c3dcb1b3f77460e619df82d73ff843446516c731aa21e
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 4.30 MB ]
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