Best of the Week: Previewing the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Transforming Plastic Recycling

This week, Spectroscopy published a variety of articles highlighting recent studies in several application areas. Key techniques highlighted in these articles include laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES), and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Happy reading!

Previewing a Talk on Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy

As part of our preview coverage of the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry taking place in Tucson, Arizona, next week, we sat down with Gerardo Gamez, a Professor and Graduate Advisor at Texas Tech University, to ask him about his upcoming talk. Gamez’s talk will focus on his laboratory group’s recent work in expanding the capabilities of GDOES (1). Apart from previewing his talk, Gamez also gives his opinion on what he is looking forward to the most at the conference.

Developing LIBS for Molten Salt Reactor Monitoring

As part of our preview coverage of the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, we sat down with Hunter Andrews, an R&D Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to talk about what he will be covering in his presentation at the conference. Andrews is primarily known for his expertise in optical spectroscopy, particularly LIBS (2). His talk is one of many that will touch upon optical spectroscopy techniques at the conference, and how these techniques are advancing several key industries.

Did You Look at the Raw Data?

In this episode of the “Analytically Speaking” podcast, hosts Dwight R. Stoll and James Grinias talk with Kelly Hines, an associate professor at the University of Georgia, about her path from early scientific curiosity in her father’s plant nursery to a career in analytical chemistry. Hines discusses shifting from civil engineering to chemistry, her training in ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry (IMS-MS), and postdoctoral work in metabolomics and medicinal chemistry (3). Hines highlights her group’s use of IMS-MS and chromatography for multi-omics studies aimed at understanding biochemical processes at the metabolite level (3). She also reflects on building professional networks at the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), the value of conferences, and her mentoring approach for diverse graduate researchers (3).

Deep Learning Meets Spectroscopy to Transform Plastic Recycling Accuracy

A recent study published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling shows that combining spectroscopy with machine learning can greatly improve plastic recycling accuracy. Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities developed convolutional neural network (CNN) models trained on Raman and ATR-FTIR spectra, achieving up to 100% and 95% accuracy, respectively (4). The models also proved robust across dyed, contaminated, and weathered plastics. Additional testing of ATR-FTIR, near-infrared (NIR), LIBS, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) confirmed ATR-FTIR as the most reliable technique, especially for degraded marine plastics (4). By autonomously learning spectral features, CNNs offer a scalable, low-cost solution for real-world, high-throughput recycling systems.

Olive Mill Wastewater Powers Greener Breakthrough in Moroccan Shale Oil Extraction

A recent study published in the journal Fuel demonstrates that olive mill wastewater (OMW) can serve as an effective, eco-friendly solvent for extracting shale oil from Morocco’s Timahdit Y-layer deposit (5). Using sub-critical water extraction, researchers optimized temperature, pressure, pH, and solvent ratios, achieving an exceptional 94.5 wt% oil recovery (5). Techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) analyses showed the extracted oil is rich in aromatic hydrocarbons (5). The approach not only boosts extraction efficiency, but it also repurposes OMW, turning an environmentally problematic waste stream into a valuable resource, supporting sustainable energy development and waste reduction.

References

1. Wetzel, W. Previewing a Talk on Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/previewing-a-talk-on-glow-discharge-optical-emission-spectroscopy (accessed 2026-01-07).
2. Wetzel, W. Developing LIBS for Molten Salt Reactor Monitoring. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/developing-libs-for-molten-salt-reactor-monitoring (accessed 2026-01-07).
3. Spectroscopy Editors, Ep. 42: Did You Look at the Raw Data? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/ep-42-did-you-look-at-the-raw-data (accessed 2026-01-07).
4. Wetzel, W. Deep Learning Meets Spectroscopy to Transform Plastic Recycling Accuracy. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/deep-learning-meets-spectroscopy-to-transform-plastic-recycling-accuracy (accessed 2026-01-07).
5. Wetzel, W. Olive Mill Wastewater Powers Greener Breakthrough in Moroccan Shale Oil Extraction. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/olive-mill-wastewater-powers-greener-breakthrough-in-moroccan-shale-oil-extraction (accessed 2026-01-07).