Multimode tapered fiber sensor-based optical response for the detection of Nile Red-stained microplastics

The widespread presence of microplastics (MPs) poses significant environmental and public health risks, contaminating water sources and entering the food chain. Conventional detection methods rely on separation and visual identification, often requiring advanced microscopy or spectroscopy. This study introduces a multimode tapered fiber (MMTF)-based optical sensor for the concurrent detection and quantification of MPs. Fluorescent staining is emerging as a widely adopted technique in MPs research due to its rapid detection capability, ease of use, and minimal instrumentation needs. In this work, polystyrene (PS) MPs were stained with Nile Red (NR) in a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution to enhance optical response variation. The optical responses of NR-stained MPs were analyzed using both absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, revealing an absorbance peak at 587 nm and a broad fluorescence emission between 690-730 nm. Absorbance exhibited excellent linearity and reproducibility for quantifying NR-stained MPs, while fluorescence showed weaker correlation. The integration of MMTFs with optical sensing provides a sensitive, rapid, and efficient alternative for MP detection, offering a promising solution for environmental monitoring and pollution assessment.

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