The Detection of Plastic and Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollution at Sea with Laser-Induced Fluorescence

Plastic and oil pollutants’ distribution and composition quantifications are vital to better understanding their effects on marine life. We present preliminary experimental results to evaluate the potential of a compact Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) apparatus for the detection of plastics and oil pollutants. The apparatus is based on a comparatively inexpensive method utilizing a 405 nm laser for sample excitation in water. Fluorescence spectra are recorded from known sources of microplastic pollutants, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and PMMA, as well as several petroleum substances. A novel identification indicator is proposed for classifying the pollutant type in realistic environmental conditions.