Researchers Develop Pioneering Sensors to Identify Microplastics at Aquaculture Sites

World-leading researchers working on the €7.93 ($8.49) million EU-funded ASTRAL project have developed and deployed two different sensors to test for microplastics in aquaculture sites at the Irish Marine Institute’s Lehanagh Pool Marine Research Site in Connemara, Co. Galway.

The microplastic sensors employ cutting-edge digital technologies such as photonics, computer vision and artificial intelligence to in-line monitor and measure water samples taken from the 21.7-hectare site.

Developed by LEITAT, a Barcelona-based RTO (Research and Technology Organization), the sensor can measure microscopically sized microplastics by differentiating them from some other natural particles that might be present in water samples.

The microplastic sensor has been successfully trialled at the Co. Galway research site, where repeated sampling was carried out at three individual locations in Bertraghboy Bay.

The device can be easily adapted and deployed on other operational environments, such as moorings, research vessels. It has been  conceived as a kind of portable lab, though it faces more limitations in terms of size and power consumption when used with  gliders, landers or other autonomous platforms for further testing.

Microplastics Sensor - Image 1: Microplastics sampling device set up and running on boat Image 2: Staff opening device to access filters Image 3: Staff carefully removing stainless steel filter from device to be stored and sent for analysis

Inma Sanchez, Principal Researcher at LEITAT and ASTRAL consortium member, believes that a comprehensive understanding of microplastics in aquaculture is necessary to promote environmental sustainability, economic efficiency and food safety.

“The microplastic detection is crucial for two reasons. Firstly, it provides insight into the physical and environmental properties of water. Secondly, this knowledge is essential for predicting the environmental risks of microplastics.”

“Technology like this is needed in aquaculture to monitor and control key parameters, prevent, and manage diseases, manage waste, and to collect and analyse data. This way farmers can optimise their  performance  and  ensure sustainable  and  efficient  aquaculture practices.”

“Overall, the future of sustainable aquaculture will depend on the continued development of technologies that can support the growth and success of multiple species in a single system. This will require ongoing innovation, investment, and collaboration between farmers, researchers, and technology providers.”

Pauline O’Donohoe, Aquaculture Researcher at the Marine Institute Galway, has found these devices to be a valuable advancement in the field of microplastic detection in the marine environment.

“By combining off-the-shelf industrial  cameras,  tuneable  optics,  image  processing  and deep learning models, and in- situ detection equipment, these cutting edge technologies developed by the project partners and tested  in Connemara not only enhance accuracy and efficiency but also reduce costs, making microplastics monitoring more accessible and effective.”

The ASTRAL consortium plans to deploy the sensors across various operational environments in the coming months, thereby enabling real-time, in-situ microplastic monitoring at aquaculture sites.

The microplastics sensors are one of seven technology solutions developed by researchers contributing to ASTRAL, a 48- month project and was awarded funding under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme.

The ASTRAL project has brought together academics, industry experts, high-tech subject matter experts, future-orientated policymakers, and technological entrepreneurs.

It is also the key project within Aquaculture Helix, a community within the open innovation platform, Crowdhelix, which aims to foster collaboration across Crowdhelix’s community of specialists in aquaculture and related disciplines.

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The ASTRAL project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 863034.

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