A groundbreaking technology developed by a team of researchers at McGill University has the ability to detect nanoplastics in water in real time, a task that was previously akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Nanoplastics, which are even smaller than microplastics, have been challenging to detect due to their minuscule size. The new technology, called AI-Assisted Nano-DIHM, uses artificial intelligence to rapidly identify and differentiate nanoplastics from other particles in water.
Lead author of the study, Parisa Ariya, believes that this technology has the potential to revolutionize how plastic pollution is monitored and managed, ultimately contributing to the preservation of the environment. With approximately 2,000 garbage trucks worth of plastic being dumped into oceans, rivers, and lakes every day, understanding the impact of nanoplastics on ecosystems is crucial.
The AI-Assisted Nano-DIHM has the ability to automatically detect and differentiate nanoplastics and microplastics, even when they are coated in other particles, providing a comprehensive understanding of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Preliminary findings from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River have shown that this technology can effectively identify pollution “hotspots” and help address them more efficiently.
Developed in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada, this pioneering technology represents a major breakthrough in environmental monitoring. The study, titled “Nanoplastics in water: artificial intelligence-assisted 4D physicochemical characterization and rapid in situ detection,” was published in Environmental Science & Technology.
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