Environmental Analysis

Atomic spectroscopy is making strides in fields such as forensics and environmental analysis. This Q&A explores how atomic spectroscopy-based techniques are being used and what the future looks like for these techniques.

Electrothermal vaporization (ETV) sample introduction into ICP-OES enables direct analysis of solids, liquids and slurries with minimal sample prep, offering results comparable to ICP-MS after digestion in 80-100 seconds per sample.

Measuring neonicotinoids in drinking water is not heavily regulated in the United States, but low-cost, rapid analytical tools are changing the conversation.

Can spectroscopy help cities manage water quality during monsoons?

A European study of nearly 9,000 cropland soil samples found that combining visible–near-infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy with climate and topographic data only improves soil carbon and nitrogen prediction accuracy at spectral resolutions of 10 nanometers or finer.

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

Researchers detect up to 587 particles per kilogram in locally marketed table salt, raising questions about daily consumer exposure through a dietary staple.

Webinar Date/Time: Thu, Jul 9, 2026 1:00 PM ED

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.

Concentrations comparable to polluted European rivers detected in sediments of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.

A team at Hebei University has developed a fluorescent probe that visualizes heavy metal stress in plant cells by detecting changes in intracellular viscosity, offering researchers a new real-time tool for assessing crop stress resistance.

How is spectroscopy being used to detect methane and contribute to sustainability missions?

Webinar Date/Time: Tue, Jun 9, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

Webinar Date/Time: Thu, Jun 18, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

Webinar Date/Time: Tue, May 26, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

Webinar Date/Time: Thu, Apr 16, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

A 2026 study published in the journal Remote Sensing tested Germany’s EnMAP hyperspectral satellite to see if it could identify and map acid mine drainage (AMD) and associated mineral residues from a legacy sulfide mine in Sardinia, Italy.

In this tutorial article, we review the latest in microplastic analysis, highlighting the techniques that have been frequently used in this space and where they have been most effective.

A study in the Journal of Environmental Management shows that wastewater treatment plants in coastal Catalonia remove most microplastics but still release tens of billions of particles annually, with emissions peaking during warmer, tourism-heavy months due to environmental and population-driven pressures.

In Part III of our conversation with David Clases, we discuss how optical trapping better enables polymer identification via Raman spectroscopy, and where ICP-MS research is heading in the future.

Part II of our conversation with David Clases focused on his proof-of-concept analysis of microplastic and TiO₂ nanoparticles, and the new insights that emerged from simultaneously accessing size, molecular identity, and elemental composition at the single-particle level.

In this interview clip, David Clasas of the University of Graz discusses the trapping mechanism of the OF2i and how it improves downstream Raman and ICP-TOFMS measurements and also highlights the multimodal approach his team used to improve microplastic analysis.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a dual AI framework that uses synthetic vegetation index data and an advanced Transformer-based segmentation model to significantly improve early detection of winter damage on golf course turf.

Researchers at Jiangnan University have developed a rapid, one-pot magnetic enrichment and electrochemical sensing platform that enables highly sensitive, streamlined detection of polystyrene microplastics.

A recent study demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging offers a highly accurate, dramatically faster alternative to traditional FT-IR methods for identifying microplastics in the Po River.