Classification Of Environmental Micro-Fibres Using Stimulated Raman Microspectroscopy

Abstract

The mass usage of plastic materials in daily life has exponentially increased the amount of plastic waste in the environment. Various environmental factors degrade bigger plastic debris into smaller microplastic particles (less than 5 mm in size). Those particles have been detected in every possible environment, from oceans to fresh bottled water, from deserts to agricultural soils, food and air, and human blood. Due to its long degradation time and high surface-to-value ratio, microplastic can become an efficient vehicle for various pollutants that can accumulate in time. Therefore, accumulation in the human tissue will likely have a negative long-term effect. Microfibers are considered the most abundant microparticle type in the environment - their size (small, often < 15 μm in diameter, and relatively long length) and light weight allow easy and fast distribution even using aerial pathways.