Ocean Diagnostics, NRC partner to standardize microplastics monitoring across Canada

Ocean Diagnostics (ODI) is teaming up with National Research Council Canada (NRC) to develop a microplastics monitoring framework using novel technologies and laboratory analysis to standardize microplastic measurements across Canada and guide policy decisions.

The project will test the accuracy of the NRC’s CaMPSim-3D (Canadian MicroPlastics Simulation) prediction model, which simulates how microplastics move through the marine environment. A team will compare its outputs to real-world data gathered by Canadian microplastics researchers using ODI’s advanced microplastics sampling technology. 

Both the observed data and modelling results will be made available through COMEX — a Canadian Ocean Microplastic Explorer web application that supports open science and evidence-based environmental management.

Microplastic research has been challenging due to inconsistent sampling methods, contamination risks and difficulties in identifying plastic polymer types, a key factor in addressing plastic pollution sources and solutions. ODI’s innovative sampling and analysis capabilities help researchers overcome these barriers. 

“This collaboration marks an exciting milestone for microplastics science in Canada,” says Dr. Jennifer Cocking, program manager at Ocean Diagnostics. “Together with NRC, we are creating the first-of-its-kind, Canadian-wide dataset and microplastics monitoring framework — key steps in advancing science and plastic pollution policy,” she added.

From now until the end of 2026, researchers from the University of British Columbia, Université Laval, and Carleton University will collect seasonal water samples from five key rivers that empty into the ocean using ODI’s automated depth sampler, Ascension. The samples will be analyzed at the company’s ISO-5 clean microplastics analysis laboratory in Vancouver, and the data will be compared to CaMPSim-3D’s predictions, which employs validated hydrodynamic models. 

The results and fully validated model are expected to be released in 2027.

The project emerged when ODI worked with the NRC to develop an in-situ microplastics sensor to quantify and characterize microplastic particles in the environment in real time. The NRC was interested in sensor development because there was none available, and they needed it to further this research for Canada. This sensor prototype will be validated alongside standard sampling methods as part of the project. 

Vahid Pilechi, project lead at the NRC, says that conventional sampling methods can be “time-consuming, costly and labour-intensive.” By integrating in-situ sensors that “deliver real-time, high-resolution data,” monitoring can be more efficient while improving model accuracy.

“This integrated approach accelerates the collection and analysis of the scientific data needed to inform decision-making — ultimately strengthening our ability to protect our oceans through evidence-based policy and targeted environmental action,” Pilechi said in a statement. 

Pilechi added that fate and transport modelling is essential for understanding how microplastics move and where they accumulate in our waters. 

“These models rely on real-world data for validation, but they also play a key role in guiding monitoring — helping to determine when, where, and what to sample. This two-way relationship makes modelling and monitoring deeply interconnected,” he said.