Finding Microplastics in Food

An AI-powered device to detect microplastics in food guarding the health and safety of consumers.
Johanna Amaldas
Grade 7

Problem

Microplastics in Our Food. Microplastics are harmful and can accumulate in the food chain.

Traditional detection methods are long process and expensive.

There is a need for faster, automated detection using technology.

Method

Samples: Bottled water, sea salt, rice, tea bag, and honey.

Tools: Microscope, UV light, Arduino Nano

Process: Collect and filter samples. Capture microscopic images. Detect the microplastics using Arduino Nano.

In this project, I have used Arduino Nano and an Ultrasonic Sensor to detect the microplastics in food samples.

When the microplastics are detected, the red light flashes.

I first got a dataset of microplastics in a Petri dish from an open source and annotated the areas with microplastics with Robo-Flow.

I exported the annotations into a readable format for Create ML in JSON.

I trained the model with my dad’s MacBook and did 38,000 epochs.

Analysis

Microplastics are tiny pieces of less than 5mm of plastic that can contain daily foods like bottled water, salt, and seafood. A research article report from the World Economic Forum on February 19, 2025, warns that these particles increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, inflammation, and even harm the brain. Microplastics also build up in the placenta, which could lead to babies being born too early. Currently, detecting microplastics can be slow and expensive. To solve this, issue I propose Arduino-based sensors and machine learning to detect microplastics faster and more accurately.  These discoveries show how important it is to find better ways to track and reduce microplastics to keep people and the environment safe.

Conclusion

The device for detecting microplastics in food is a very useful tool. It helps us find tiny plastic particles in the food we eat. This is important because it allows us to keep our food safe and healthy. By using this device, we can reduce plastic contamination and protect our health. Overall, this technology helps to ensure that our food is cleaner and safer for everyone.

Citations

Arduino Intro. (n.d.). Using the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor to detect objects.
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objects

Beyond Plastics. (n.d.). Plastics and human health [Fact sheet].
https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/plastics-and-human-health

Browne, M. A., & Galloway, T. S. (2021). Microplastics in the marine environment: Sources,
consequences and solutions. Chemosphere, 282, Article 131089.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131089
(Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653521021251)

Cell Press. (2023). [Image: Main assets]. Heliyon, 9(10), Article e20440.
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Cox, K. D., Covernton, G. A., Davies, H. L., Dower, J. F., Juanes, F., & Dudas, S. E. (2020).
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Daily Mail. (2020, January 14). A plateful of plastic: Visualising the microplastic we
consume. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7839295/THE-REUTERS-
GRAPHIC

Geneva Environment Network. (n.d.). Plastics and health.

https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/plastics-and-health/

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c04032

(Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7559051/)

Eurofins. (n.d.). Microplastics testing. Eurofins Food Testing Blog.

https://www.eurofins.in/food-testing/blog/microplastics-testing/

Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. (n.d.). Australian seafood scores well on

microplastic scale. FISH Magazine, 30(1).

https://www.frdc.com.au/fish-vol-30-1/Australian-seafood-scores-well-on-microplastic-

scale Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. (n.d.). Impacts of microplastics in

seafood revealed. https://www.frde.com.au/impacts-microplastics-seafood-revealed

Li, J., Liu, H., & Chen, J. P. (2020). Microplastics in the terrestrial ecosystem: Implications for soil health and food safety. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 399, Article 123053.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazmat.2020.123053 (Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030438942030053X)

Statista. (2019, June 5). How we eat, drink and breathe microplastics [Infographic].  

https://www.statista.com/chart/18299/how-we-eat-drink-and-breathe-microplastics/

Acknowledgement

I want to thank my parents and my Science fair teacher Ms.Bretner for their support.