Plastic pollution is a global environmental challenge that spreads across vast coastlines, river systems, and landscapes. To better understand and address the problem, researchers are increasingly exploring how plastic waste can be detected from the air. In Brazil, specially equipped aircraft were recently tested to identify plastic pollution hotspots across large areas.
Identifying Plastic Hotspots: Airborne Environmental Monitoring in Brazil
Brazil's extensive coastlines, river networks, and dense rainforests make it particularly challenging to reliably detect and document plastic pollution hotspots.
While drones can be highly effective for localized monitoring, they quickly reach their limits when covering large areas. To overcome this challenge, researchers tested a new approach: using aircraft to monitor plastic pollution from the air on a much larger scale.
The idea is simple. Aircraft already used for monitoring oil platforms, shipping routes, and maritime activities can also be deployed for environmental observation and pollution detection.
Test Flights for Plastic Detection in Bragança Paulista
In December 2024, a research team from Jade University of Applied Sciences traveled to Brazil to test the technology under real-world conditions. The trials took place in Bragança Paulista, approximately 100 kilometers north of São Paulo, where aircraft equipped with the necessary technology were provided by project partner Optimare.
The objective of the test flights was to determine whether advanced sensors and imaging systems could detect plastic pollution in coastal areas and marine environments from the air. During two testing phases, each consisting of three flights, multiple areas were surveyed and analyzed.
The trials proved successful, demonstrating that plastic pollution can be detected and documented from aircraft. System performance was particularly reliable during the second testing phase, delivering robust and consistent results. A key factor in the project's success was the combination of sensor technology, camera systems, and artificial intelligence. The collected data can then be analyzed to identify specific plastic pollution hotspots in the environment.
Technology for Airborne Plastic Detection
The aircraft were equipped with specialized sensors and cameras mounted underneath the plane, allowing them to systematically scan large areas from above.
One sensor system identifies potential plastic hotspots, while a high-resolution camera captures detailed imagery for visual verification. By combining sensor data with photographic evidence, researchers can determine whether detected objects are actually plastic waste.
Because aircraft can cover extensive areas at high speed, the reliability and accuracy of these systems are critical for generating meaningful environmental data.
The results indicate that aircraft provide an efficient way to monitor large regions for plastic pollution. Compared to drones, they can survey significantly larger areas in a shorter amount of time. Another advantage is that existing aircraft already used for other monitoring tasks can be equipped with the technology, creating a scalable solution for environmental monitoring in Europe and beyond.
AI-Powered Monitoring: The Plastic Obs+ Project
The technology behind the plastic detection system was developed through the Plastic Obs+ research project, a collaboration between the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Optimare Systems GmbH, and Jade University of Applied Sciences.
As part of the project, everwave has already successfully applied the AI-based detection system to drones for local monitoring applications. Expanding the technology to aircraft now opens up new possibilities for large-scale, data-driven monitoring of plastic pollution in oceans, rivers, and coastal regions.
Conclusion: Detecting Plastic from the Air as a Tool for Environmental Monitoring
The results of the test flights demonstrate that it is technically feasible to detect and locate plastic pollution from the air. This represents an important step forward in modern environmental monitoring.
By combining aircraft technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced sensors, researchers can identify plastic hotspots more efficiently and support targeted actions against plastic pollution in oceans, rivers, and coastal areas.
As monitoring capabilities improve, airborne detection could become a valuable tool for understanding pollution patterns, prioritizing cleanup efforts, and preventing plastic waste from reaching sensitive ecosystems.