Towards an IOT based system for detection and monitoring of microplastics in aquatic environments

Abstract

Monitoring presence of micro-plastics in the ocean and fresh waters is an important research topic due to a need to preserve marine ecosystem. Microplastics represent threats to living organisms, producing harmful effects, ultimately also having an impact on humans through the food-chain. Use of laboratory-based and in situ techniques do help in investigating density and scale of this kind of pollutants. The in-situ sensing techniques are gaining popularity due to automation and continuous availability. These techniques though need an accurate hardware and efficient computing model to achieve desired success. Here, we propose an IoT based system called `SmartIC' using specialized sensors and intelligent computing tools, specifically designed for in-situ monitoring of microplastics in natural aquatic environments. This paper is focused on system architecture, monitoring process and outline of experimental work. The initial research provides very promising results. A further course of the investigation with validation will be conducted in future to establish the proposed system completely.