Technical Note: EcoExposure Platform for Multi-Matrix Detection in Intact Liquid Media Across Industries and Fields

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 liquid matrix rather than isolating individual particles. While initially demonstrated in environmental water and select biological fluids, its core architecture is being actively expanded into non-biological, consumer-product beverages and complex liquids such as milk, juice, infant formula, beverage extracts, and colloidal food systems, leveraging matrix-specific calibration through dilution and software rather than redesigning the assay. This enables rapid, scalable screening across diverse colors, ionic strengths, and optical densities, positioning the technology for widespread consumer at-home testing of everyday drinks, as well as industrial quality control, batch monitoring, and supply chain applications in the beverage sector. Water serves as the foundational matrix, but the platform’s unified design marks it as the entry point for a broader multi-matrix exposure intelligence solution tailored to accessible, real-world beverage safety and exposure monitoring.

 This paper is also available at; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19903089

The EcoExposure Platform is designed for direct detection of microplastics and nanoplastics in intact liquid matrices without complex preparation or destruction of the original sample

This capability is protected under the nonprovisional patent application, “Systems and Methods for Detecting Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Intact Liquid Samples Using Adaptive Optical Interaction Metrics.”

The platform operates using a standardized workflow:

• Controlled dilution of the sample (accounted for in software)• Addition of an optically interactive reagent• Smartphone-based imaging and computational analysis

Rather than isolating or enumerating individual particles, the system evaluates macroscopic optical interaction behavior within the intact liquid using adaptive, time-resolved metrics.

This approach has been demonstrated in environmental water, urine, and simulated blood, supporting operation across diverse liquid conditions, including variation in color, ionic strength, and optical density.

Prior work has also demonstrated optical detection and quantification of particulate matter in complex matrices, including beverage extracts and colloidal food systems. These results support the broader applicability of the platform to non-clear and compositionally complex liquids.

Ongoing work is extending this framework specifically to microplastic and nanoplastic detection in additional consumer liquid matrices, including milk, juice, and infant formula. Early-stage feasibility testing is focused on maintaining a consistent workflow across matrices, with matrix-specific adaptation handled through dilution and computational calibration rather than assay redesign.

Unlike conventional laboratory methods that require matrix-specific workflows and extended optimization timelines, the EcoExposure Platform is designed around a unified architecture that enables scalability across environmental, consumer-product, and biological applications.

This intact liquid media approach positions Ecotera to deliver field-deployable, accessible exposure monitoring tools across Asia and globally.

In addition, the EcoExposure Platform is designed to support multiple user groups across the value chain. For consumers, it enables direct testing of everyday products such as drinking water, beverages, and household liquids, providing accessible insight into potential exposures. For manufacturers and quality control teams, the same platform can be used for internal screening, batch comparison, and supply chain monitoring, offering a rapid and scalable complement to traditional laboratory methods. This dual-use capability supports both decentralized, at-home testing and more structured industrial or regulatory applications.

Water is the starting point, not the endpoint, of a broader multi-matrix exposure intelligence

platform.