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Advances in Laser Technology and Its Application in Environmental Analysis
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Advances in Laser Technology and Its Application in Environmental Analysis

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2025) | Viewed by 475

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jorge Cáceres

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Guest Editor
Laser Chemistry Research Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University of Madrid, Plaza de Ciencias 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: laser chemistry and techniques; environmental sciences; data processing; dynamic imaging studies; quantification and identification by laser spectroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. David Galán Madruga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Reference Laboratory of Air Quality, National Centre for Environmental Health (CNSA), Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Ctra. Majadahonda a Pozuelo, 28222 Madrid, Spain
Interests: environmental sciences; air quality; environmental analysis and pollutants; metrology; data treatment; modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growth of human activities is translated into rising environmental pollution levels, becoming a global issue for human health. Therefore, developing advanced techniques to monitor and analyze environmental pollutants is highly needed. In this regard, laser-based techniques have become a useful and reliable tool to analyze pollutants in any environmental matrix. Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (the LIBS technique) allows for identifying and quantifying pollutants in an environmental sample. This Special Issue deals with research on developed advances within the field of laser technology to investigate environmental pollution levels, involving applying novel approaches, quantifying emergent compounds (microplastics), comparison with conventional techniques, a combination of laser-based methodologies, artificial intelligence techniques, and alternative data processing.

Prof. Dr. Jorge Cáceres
Dr. David Galán Madruga
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • laser-based techniques
  • environmental sciences
  • air quality
  • emergent compounds

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2470 KiB  
Article
An Overview of Microplastic Exposure in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Aerosols
by J. Cárdenas-Escudero, S. Deylami, M. López Ochoa, P. Cañamero, J. Urraca Ruiz, D. Galán-Madruga and J. O. Cáceres
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(16), 8967; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15168967 - 14 Aug 2025
Abstract
This study advances the understanding of atmospheric microplastic (MPs) exposure across urban (US), suburban (SS), and rural (RS) areas of Madrid, Spain, for the first time. Air pollution from MPs remains an understudied issue with broad implications for environmental and human health. Recent [...] Read more.
This study advances the understanding of atmospheric microplastic (MPs) exposure across urban (US), suburban (SS), and rural (RS) areas of Madrid, Spain, for the first time. Air pollution from MPs remains an understudied issue with broad implications for environmental and human health. Recent evidence highlights the need for multipoint studies to accurately establish atmospheric exposure to MPs, especially during winter seasons in the city. To address this issue, this work conducted active sampling of ≤10 μm aerosol particles, following EN 12341:2014 standards, during the 2024–2025 winter season. A quantitative innovative method using UV-assisted optical microscopy was applied to assess daily MPs exposure. To trace the potential sources and transport pathways, air mass back trajectories were modelled using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) software. The results showed an average exposure (n = 4) of 80 ± 20; 55 ± 9 and 46 ± 20 MPs·m−3·day−1 during the sampling period in US, SS, and RS, respectively; and an average exposure (n = 4) of 61 ± 11 MPs·m−3·day−1 throughout the winter period between November and December 2024 and January and February 2025. The polymers detected as constituents of MPs were polystyrene, polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyethylene terephthalate, achieving a correct identification ratio of 100% for the detected microplastic particles. The HYSPLIT results showed diffuse sources of MPs, especially local, regional, and oceanic sources, in the US. In contrast, microplastic contributions in SS and RS areas originated from local or regional sources, highlighting the need for advanced studies to identify the sources of emissions and transport routes that converge in the occurrence of microplastics in the areas studied. These results demonstrate the atmospheric exposure to microplastics in the city, justifying the need for specialized studies to define the health impacts associated with the inhalation of these emerging pollutants. The findings of this research provide clear evidence of exposure to atmospheric microplastics in urban, suburban, and rural environments in Madrid, suggesting the need for further specialized research to rigorously assess the potential risks to human health associated with microplastic inhalation by the city’s population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Laser Technology and Its Application in Environmental Analysis)
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