Microplastic pollutants are among the most prevalent environmental threats of the century. These microparticles originate from human plastic consumption, including plastic bags and synthetic fibers that break down over time and infiltrate the environment. At the current rate of human population growth, the expected microplastic production will only continue to increase exponentially. With humans currently breathing 68,000 microplastic particles per day and marine ecosystems housing over 5.25 trillion pieces of suspended plastics, the widespread nature of microplastics poses several environmental and medical concerns. Some of these issues include increased mortality and reduced reproductive rates in the lower marine food chain, binding of microplastics with other hydrophobic pollutants as they infiltrate ecosystems, and decreased plant production due to changes in soil structure. Additionally, these plastics are not biodegradable, leading to increased levels of toxins in organisms and a gradual increase over recent years. Bioaccumulation, the process by which toxins persist and increase in living bodies, causes cascading effects up the food chain, with each animal passing them on to the next and negatively impacting all organisms. 

Due to their small size, they go undetected in our everyday products and in our ecosystem, resulting in a significant gap in scientific knowledge regarding safe thresholds for microplastic consumption and in government regulation. There is a growing demand for reliable and affordable devices that can detect microplastics. These devices should be capable of regularly monitoring water bodies to assess microplastic pollution levels, trace their sources, and ensure compliance with future regulations on microplastic production limits.