Top Microplastic Firms 2025

Microplastic detection is gaining worldwide importance due to its profound environmental and health implications. As plastic pollution continues to escalate, microplastics-tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size-have been found in oceans, freshwater sources, soil, air, and even human bodies.

Their widespread presence raises concerns about their potential toxicity, ability to absorb harmful chemicals, and impact on marine life and food chains. Studies have detected microplastics in drinking water, seafood, table salt, and even the placenta, highlighting the urgent need for effective detection and mitigation strategies.

Top 10 Microplastic Detection Firms Worldwide in 2025

1. Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in California, Agilent Technologies is a key player in the analytical standards for life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. The company offers innovative technologies for detecting microplastics in various environments.

Operating through three core segments-Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab-Agilent provides instruments, consumables, and software designed to identify, quantify, and analyze the physical and biological properties of substances. Their product offerings include liquid chromatography (LC) systems, gas chromatography (GC) systems, mass spectrometry instruments, and laboratory informatics systems, all of which are instrumental in microplastic analysis.

2. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a global leader in serving science, providing a range of analytical instruments and solutions for microplastic analysis. The company offers Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy solutions that help identify, characterize, and quantify microplastics from various sample sources, including bottled deep ocean water and industrial waste streams. Thermo Fisher also hosts global symposiums to educate and consult customers on the latest research and analytical tools in microplastics detection.

3. Bruker Corporation

Established in 1960 and headquartered in Massachusetts, Bruker is a leading provider of scientific instruments and analytical solutions. The company operates through segments such as BSI BioSpin, BSI CALID, and BSI Nano.

The BSI CALID segment specializes in solutions for life sciences, including mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry, as well as analytical and process analysis instruments. Bruker offers solutions utilizing infrared and Raman molecular spectroscopy to detect microplastics, as well as radiological and nuclear detectors designed to detect chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.

4. Shimadzu Corporation

Founded in 1875 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Shimadzu is a prominent manufacturer of precision instruments. The company operates through five business segments, with its Analytical and Measuring Instruments sector offering a wide range of products, including gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry, which are essential for microplastic detection.

The instruments serve various sectors, including ceramics, metals and mining, clinical and forensics, electronics, food and beverages, mechanical and automotive, petrochemical and chemical, as well as pharmaceutical and life sciences. Shimadzu has a global presence with 17 production locations: 8 in Japan and 9 overseas.

5. PerkinElmer, Inc.

Founded in 1937 and headquartered in Shelton, U.S., PerkinElmer operates through two segments: Discovery & Analytical Solutions and Diagnostics. The Discovery & Analytical Solutions division specializes in microplastic detection technology, offering solutions such as gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC), and near-infrared spectroscopy. PerkinElmer boasts an impressive portfolio of over 100,000 active instruments deployed globally and operates 75 offices across 168 countries, effectively meeting the diverse needs of its customer base.

6.   Danaher Corporation

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., Danaher is a prominent global conglomerate specializing in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of medical, industrial, and commercial products and services. The company operates through three segments: Biotechnology, Life Sciences, and Diagnostics. Danaher provides microplastic detection technology through its Life Sciences segment, offering innovative analytical instruments and solutions to detect and analyze microplastics in various environments.

7. Eurofins Scientific

Eurofins is one of the world's leading authorities on microplastic testing and analysis. The company has invested in state-of-the-art equipment such as Pyrolytic GC-MS, FTIR Raman Spectroscopy, and Laser Direct Infrared technology (LDIR) to provide detailed microplastic analysis in various media, including water, food, fish, sediment, and sludge.

Eurofins supports customers in understanding the impacts of plastics and synthetic materials through various services, including evaluating and validating the use of recycled content and providing biodegradability and disintegration testing. The company has laboratories located in Europe, the U.S., and Australia.

8. Intertek Group plc

Intertek provides microplastics analysis services that give companies information about microplastics in the human environment. The company has extensive technical expertise using methods such as light microscopy, FTIR microscopy, RAMAN microscopy, and SEM/EDX. These methods, combined with expert evaluations, enable the identification and quantification of microplastics in selected samples, including table water, drinking water, honey, table salt, drinks, beer, and spirits.

9. EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical offers microplastics testing services, providing analysis of solid polymeric materials that have at least three dimensions less than 5,000 micrometers. The company utilizes advanced analytical techniques to identify and quantify microplastics in various samples, supporting environmental monitoring and research efforts.

10. SATOORNIK

Founded in 2022 and based in Germany, SATOORNIK focuses on removing microplastics from polluted waters using a chemical-free separation device. Their magnetic separation technology effectively removes microplastics of varying sizes and densities and can be integrated into existing water treatment systems.

The device requires minimal energy and incorporates real-time particle size distribution analysis, enhancing the accuracy of microplastic detection and removal. Industries such as water treatment, food and beverage, and industrial wastewater management benefit from SATOORNIK's innovative filtration solutions.

Companies to Focus on FTIR and Similar Technologies to Enhance Accuracy

The future of microplastic detection is poised for significant developments, driven by surging environmental concerns, regulatory pressure, and technological innovations. With the increasing awareness of microplastic pollution and its potential impact on human health and ecosystems, there is a strong push for more accurate, efficient, and scalable detection methods.

Current techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC-MS) are set to evolve further, improving their sensitivity, speed, and automation capabilities. Emerging technologies like AI-powered image recognition, microfluidics, and nanopore sequencing could revolutionize microplastic detection by enabling real-time analysis and more precise identification of plastic particles in various environmental matrices.