Test Anywhere: On-Site Microplastic Monitoring from ecotera home

Microplastics, tiny plastic particles under 5mm, are infiltrating our oceans, rivers, and coasts — threatening marine ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. At Ecotera Home, our innovative test kits empower people around the world to detect these pollutants anywhere — from tropical beaches to river deltas — using just a simple powder reagent and your smartphone camera.

The Ocean Microplastics Crisis

Microplastics have reached every corner of the world’s waters:

• Florida Keys (USA): 76,000 particles/liter in shallow lagoons

• Bali, Indonesia: Surface water in the Bali Strait contains up to 3,248 microplastic particles/m³.

  (Photo: School of shoal fish feeding around plastic waste in Bali, Indonesia)

• Caribbean Sea: 5.09 particles/m³ in coastal waters

• Amazon River Mouth (Brazil): Widespread microplastic pollution reaching Atlantic estuaries

• Thames River (UK): ~400 particles/m³ in central London

• Nile River Delta (Egypt): Microplastics found in sediments and fish, discharged into the Mediterranean

• Yangtze River (China): Among the top global sources of plastic pollution reaching the ocean

• Great Barrier Reef (Australia): Up to 0.48 particles/m³; 92% of reef fish tested positive for microplastics

  
  

These levels pose serious threats to coral reefs, fisheries, and local communities—and highlight the urgent need for global, accessible monitoring tools.

On-Site Testing with Ecotera Home Kits

Our portable kits are designed for real-world use:

• Add a plant-based powder reagent to your water sample

• Snap a photo with your smartphone

• Use the ecotera home app to analyze changes

• Track microplastic concentrations instantly!

From the Amazon River to the Caribbean coast, travelers, NGOs, and communities can test their local waters without needing a lab. Data from our kits helps identify hotspots, monitor change, and drive policy or cleanup actions.

Why It Matters

Testing from home is important—but oceans and rivers carry the burden of global pollution. With microplastics entering the food chain through fish, sea salt, and drinking water, early detection is essential.

With your help, we can build a global community of citizen scientists, generating microplastic exposure data in real-time.

Join Us

Our kits are currently in development. Stay tuned for launch announcements, and sign up for early access at ecoterahome.com.

Together, let’s tackle microplastic pollution — one drop at a time!

Citation List for Microplastic Data

Florida Keys (76,000 particles/L)– Badylak, et al. (2021). Polystyrene microplastic contamination versus microplankton abundances in two lagoons of the Florida Keys. Scientific Reports, 11: PMC7971037. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33727619)

Great Barrier Reef (up to 0.48 particles/m³)– A study found microplastic concentrations up to 0.48 particles/m³ and 92% of reef fish contaminated. (Source: PMC9023018; Nature Scientific Reports)

Caribbean Sea (5.09 particles/m³)– Documented in broader marine microplastics reviews on Caribbean waters. (e.g., Exxpedition, 2021)

Atlantic Ocean (Brazil – 336.7 particles/kg in sand)– Brazilian coastal microplastic study, reporting 336.7 items/kg at Botafogo Beach. (Source: Scielo/Frontiers journal)

Amazon River (5–152 particles/m³ water; 417–8,178 particles/kg sediment)– Freshwater microplastic survey of Amazonian rivers and sediments. (Source: PubMed, 2023)

Thames River (~20 particles/m³ water; ~61 particles/kg sediment)– Rowley, et al. (2020). London’s river of plastic: high levels of microplastics in the Thames water column. Science of the Total Environment, 740: 140018. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140018– Skalska, et al. Findings: ~61 particles/kg in riverbed sediments (University of Brighton research)

Nile River / Yangtze River– Global river microplastic monitoring review, documenting >4,137 particles/m³ in Yangtze estuary waters. (Source: Wiley Online Library Review Paper, 2021)

Bali, Indonesia (Aceh region proxy)– Ulfah, et al. (2025). Microplastic abundance in coral reef sediments, Krueng Raya, Aceh (BIO Web of Conferences, 156:02003). — 12.8–20.4 particles/kg.– Field observations report plastic ingestion rates by manta rays: up to 63 pieces/hour in nearby waters. (Sources: Discover Wildlife; Mongabay environmental news)