July/August 2026

This curated selection of articles highlights recent advancements in microplastics and nanoplastics and soil analysis.

This study used molecular spectroscopic techniques to characterize fibers found at a crime scene and those from the suspects.

This "Focus on Quality" column will explore how a regulated laboratory can leverage supplier software development and testing to reduce User Acceptance Testing (UAT) of a configured spectrometer software.

In this column, we will introduce the spectra of tri-, tetra-, and penta-substituted benzene rings.

This paper demonstrates the use of optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy for the detection, identification, and localization of microplastics in tissue samples.

This review highlights major advances in infrared (IR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy from 2022–2026, including instrument miniaturization, hyperspectral imaging, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. These developments are expanding the use of vibrational spectroscopy beyond the laboratory into portable and field-deployable analytical systems. Environmental applications such as microplastic detection, biosolids analysis, soil characterization, and contaminant monitoring are emerging as key growth areas.