Accessible Environmental Monitoring

Abstract Climate-driven extreme events, floods, cyclones, typhoons, and heavy rainfall, rapidly alter water quality through infrastructure damage, sediment resuspension, runoff, and mobilization of plastic debris. Published studies document several-fold to order-of-magnitude changes in environmental microplastic (MP) concentrations during or after these events. Conventional laboratory methods limit the frequency and geographic density of measurements. These observations, toge

Abstract The Arabian Gulf is both a global desalination center and an emerging hub for water-intensive industries, including semiconductor manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and green hydrogen. These sectors require not only water availability but highly purified water. Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) represent an incompletely characterized challenge within this infrastructure. Plastic particles occur in Gulf marine environments, and experimental studies show they c

🌏 Excited to share that our CEO, Dr. Melinda B. Chu, was recently featured on the Rudiment Bio Podcast! As a Dermatology Advisor to Rudiment Medicine, Emily Xia’s company (Rudiment - Personalized Anti-Aging Skincare), Dr. Chu discussed the future of precision, science-driven skincare, personalized approaches to healthy aging, and why environmental exposures—including microplastics and nanoplastics—are becoming an increasingly important part of understanding skin health and b

Abstract Recent media and commercial reports describing 'plastics in urine' typically refer to phthalate metabolites detected via LC-MS/MS rather than intact microplastic or nanoplastic particles. Although both originate from plastic materials, they represent fundamentally different analytical targets and biological questions. Phthalates are chemical plasticizers that leach from plastics, are metabolized by the body, and are routinely measured using liquid chromatography-m

Abstract Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are increasingly recognized as widespread contaminants of marine ecosystems, with potential impacts on biodiversity, fisheries, aquaculture, and food security. Although laboratory-based analytical techniques remain essential for polymer identification and characterization, their cost and infrastructure requirements often limit monitoring frequency and spatial coverage. There is an increasing need for complementary field-depl

This collection includes technical papers covering the EcoExposure™ water testing platform, related urine-based environmental exposure monitoring, and supporting research on novel detection technologies, field-deployable systems, and policy-relevant frameworks. The papers explore both practical applications and emerging concepts in microplastics and nanoplastics monitoring, mitigation strategies, and environmental intelligence. Title doi links Airborne Microplastics and Nanop

🌟 Excited to share that we have filed an international patent application (PCT) covering systems and methods for the detection, quantification, monitoring, and management of microplastic and nanoplastic particles. 🌟 The application includes environmental monitoring, biological monitoring, computer vision-enabled analysis, and remediation concepts designed to support distributed environmental intelligence. As part of this work, we have evaluated the platform across diverse

Abstract Water systems across Asia-Pacific are among the most diverse in the world, ranging from dense urban waterways and coastal megacities to island nations, aquaculture regions, reservoirs, agricultural watersheds, and rapidly growing communities. Environmental and drinking water samples in these regions often contain naturally occurring constituents — such as dissolved organic matter (DOM), mineral hardness species, suspended colloids, biological materials, and varying i

Abstract Microplastic and nanoplastic (MNP) detection in human urine has emerged as an area of increasing scientific and public interest. However, reported urinary MNP concentrations vary substantially across the literature due to differences in collection methods, storage conditions, sample digestion protocols, filtration workflows, and analytical instrumentation. Most published urine MNP studies rely on delayed and highly processed laboratory workflows involving refrigerati

Abstract Preliminary experiments demonstrate that the EcoExposure™ optical interaction assay can simultaneously detect and distinguish mixed microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) interaction signatures within the same minimally processed human urine sample. Using 100 nm model nanoplastic particles, recognizable concentration-dependent optical morphologies were observed by the EcoExposure™ assay (~250 million particles per/L) at levels orders of magnitude lower than the ~2

Abstract Singapore and broader Asia are rapidly emerging as major centers for smartphone-enabled wellness technologies, decentralized observational research, preventive health infrastructure, and AI-assisted consumer health platforms. This paper presents the conceptual framework and translational deployment strategy for a smartphone-based urine environmental exposure monitoring platform focused initially on microplastics/nanoplastics (MP/NPs) and future multi-analyte environm

Abstract Food-contact packaging is an under-recognized but direct source of secondary microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in seafood and snack products. Conventional materials (polyethylene [PE], polypropylene [PP], polystyrene [PS]) release millions to billions of particles per cm² under typical storage, mild-heat processing, and mechanical stress conditions relevant to Asian supply chains. Emerging data show that even “microwave-safe” or reusable plastics shed signif

AbstractBuilding directly on the scientific foundation established in Part 1—which detailed the pervasive occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in Asian seafood systems, their function as “Trojan horses” for co-contaminants (heavy metals, PFAS, antibiotics, pesticides), plastisphere-mediated pathogen enrichment, synergistic risks, and experimental observations on polysaccharide-induced flocculation. This companion paper translates those findings into actio

AbstractMicroplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1 µm) are now documented as ubiquitous emerging contaminants throughout the global food and beverage supply chain. Sources include environmental deposition, plastic packaging migration, processing equipment, and consumer handling (e.g., heating in polypropylene bottles). Recent studies report detectable levels in infant formula (typically 4–55 MPs/100 g powder), bottled water (hundreds of thousands of particles per li

AbstractMicroplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1 μm) are pervasive in Asian marine environments, particularly in high-production areas such as the South China Sea, Johor Straits, and Southeast Asian aquaculture zones. Driven by plastic waste, intensive farming, and coastal dynamics, these particles enter seafood supply chains through direct ingestion and act as “Trojan horses” for co-contaminants (heavy metals, PFAS, antibiotics, pesticides) while serving as scaff

Abstract: The EcoExposure Platform, developed by ecotera asia, represents a unified, field-deployable system for direct detection of microplastics and nanoplastics in intact liquid samples without destructive preparation or complex lab workflows. Built around a standardized smartphone-based workflow involving controlled dilution, an optically interactive reagent, and adaptive time-resolved optical metrics, the platform evaluates macroscopic interaction behavior in the full li

Abstract Artificial intelligence in imaging is most commonly associated with object detection, segmentation, and classification. While these capabilities are powerful, they do not represent the full potential of computer vision for scientific and environmental applications. Many high-value real-world assays generate information not through discrete identifiable objects, but through dynamic optical signals such as color shifts, spatial clearing patterns, aggregation behavior,

Abstract Detection of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) has advanced rapidly, yet measurement alone is insufficient to address contamination. The next critical phase is actionable mitigation—practical strategies that reduce particle burden, guide interventions, and deliver measurable environmental improvements. Asia, with its extensive coastlines, major rivers, dense urban centers, and rapidly growing economies, faces both acute exposure risks and exceptional opportunitie

Abstract To evaluate geographic generalizability beyond the United States, the EcoExposure™ portable zero-shear optical interaction assay was field-tested in two independent Southeast Asian municipal tap-water systems: Metro Manila / Quezon City (Philippines) on April 11, 2026, and Singapore on April 12, 2026. Despite marked differences in source water, treatment infrastructure, mineral/ionic profiles, and distribution systems, both locations produced consistent, interpretabl

Abstract Detection of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) is commonly approached through direct analytical measurement of particle composition or structure. In contrast, many established diagnostic systems operate through signal generation rather than direct visualization of the target. This work introduces an interaction-based assay framework in which measurable signal emerges from system-level dynamics within intact liquid samples. Drawing conceptual parallels to Polymera