Scientists have got a big success, where in the world, how much plastic waste is on which beach, now space satellite will know

science news desk,Where plastic waste is spread on the world’s beaches can now be detected from space. Researchers at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have developed a new technology. According to a statement from the university, plastic on beaches can be identified by measuring the difference between light reflected from the debris and the surrounding sand, water or vegetation. The new technology of satellite imaging works on this method. Researchers have successfully tested this technology in the field. With the help of satellites, he looked at a remote location on the coastline of Australia. By identifying the unique spectral properties of the plastic, satellites detected it from 600 kilometers above the coastline. This new research is based on existing satellite technology used to detect plastic floating in the ocean.

How is garbage detected from space?

Australian scientists have developed a new spectral index, called Beached Plastic Debris Index (BPDI). With this, patterns can be identified in the reflected light collected by satellites while passing over an area. It is especially possible to identify those plastics which easily mix with sand. The research team placed 14 pieces of different types of plastics on a remote beach in Victoria. Then BDPI was tested with the help of Maxar Technologies’ satellite WorldView-3. Satellite data showed that the new index was better than previously existing satellite techniques at detecting plastics. A report about their study has been published in the Marine Pollution Journal on October 22.