Portable Raman Microscopy for Identification of Microplastics
Plastic litter has emerged as a pollutant of concern in the oceans around the world over the past few decades. Defined as plastic litter that is smaller than 5 mm, microplastic is thought to be the most common form of marine debris.
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Microplastics include both small manufactured items like beads and fibers, known as primary microplastics, plus items that result from fragmentation of larger plastic items by a combination of chemical, physical and biological processes and include fragments, foams and films, known as secondary microplastics.
Plastic marine debris usually starts as land-derived waste and then enters the coastal ocean and estuaries.