We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Molecular and Microstructural Bases for Understanding Microplastic Origin, Transport, and Fate
Summary
This project report investigates the molecular and microstructural properties that determine how microplastics form from parent plastic materials, transport through environments, and ultimately accumulate. It aims to understand physicochemical mechanisms of microplastic fragmentation and mobility.
The formation of micro and nanoplastics from parent plastics is one of the most challenging ecological threats since plastic pollution reaches even the most desolate places on earth and is expected to double by 2030. The goal of this project is to understand physico-chemical properties on microplastics formation, transport, and fate by analyzing the microplastics found in environmentally collected samples at SRS, supported by lab-based experiments. An initial assessment found and identified microplastics and micronizing plastics in Fourmile Branch and the Savannah River. Fourmile Branch also carried trace-level radioactive contaminants associated with the Site’s legacy missions, which may incorporate into entrained microplastics.