Instant plastic waste detection on shores using laser-induced fluorescence and associated hyperspectral imaging

Plastic pollution is a rising environmental issue, with millions of tons of plastic debris collecting in the world's seas and on its shores. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has become increasingly widely used as a more precise approach that can identify targets in remote sensing aquatic missions. The interference from other beach materials, and the need for proper identification of litter types can make identifying dumped plastics on sand-surrounded beaches challenging. This study lays the groundwork for a physical laboratory setting for images captured by a hyperspectral (HS) imager. The suggested testing setup included the development of a fluorescence signature for the target theater of operations (low-density polyethylene (LD-PE) and wood surrounded by sand) for detecting polymers in a simulated beach environment using the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) approach. Initially using broadband-spectrum light, strong sample diffuse reflectance contrast is observed in the imaging at wavelengths between 400 and 460 nm. Next, a dedicated LIF system for plastic litter discovery was developed using an ultraviolet (UV) laser source. Initial findings show that there is a distinct fluorescence signal for plastics at 450 nm and at 750 nm for wood. Our pilot studies support current efforts to determine the optimum spectral signature that these polymers will appear with clarity on shorelines using an inexpensive imagery combined with our UV LIF approach, which may have an impact on applications for the detection of beach pollution. The knowledge gained from this study can be used to construct reliable aerial conventional cameras for plastic waste environmental monitoring and management.