Hyperspectral longwave infrared reflectance spectra of naturally dried algae, anthropogenic plastics, sands and shells

Remote sensing of litter is foreseen to become an important source of additional information relevant to scientific awareness about plastic pollution. Here, we document directional hemispherical reflectance measurements of anthropogenic and natural materials gathered along the shorelines of the Chiloe Archipelago, Chile. These spectral observations were completed in a Chilean laboratory using a state-of-the-art hyperspectral HyLogger-3 (TM) thermal infrared (TIR) spectrometer starting from the medium-wave infrared spectrum (6 mu m) and going to the longwave infrared (14.5 mu m) spectrum at 0.025 mu m intervals. The samples we investigated included sands, shells, algae, nautical ropes, Styrofoam (R), gunny sacks and several fragments of plastic-based items. The apparent visible colours of these samples included shades of black, blue, brown, green, orange, white and yellow. We grouped the samples using robust statistical approaches (derivatives, peak-seeking technique) and visual analyses of the derived hyperspectral reflectances. In each group we derived an average or TIR end-member signal and determined diagnostic wavebands. Most of the diagnostic wavebands picked were found to be inside the atmospheric window of the TIR spectrum region. Furthermore, this laboratory reference dataset and findings might become useful in related field observations using similar thermal infrared technologies, especially in identifying anomalies resulting from environmental and meteorological perturbations. Validation and verification of proposed diagnostic wavebands would be part of a continuing effort to advance TIR remote sensing knowledge as well as support robust detection algorithm development to potentially distinguish plastics in litter throughout the natural environments.