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Enhancing the degradation rate of microplastics and organizing a study visit about sustainability
Summary
This master's thesis investigated methods to improve the degradation rate of microplastics in water using titanium dioxide photocatalysis and other approaches. The student also organized a sustainability study visit as part of the project.
Titel på svenska: Förbättring av nedbrytningshastigheten av mikroplaster och organisering av ett studiebesök om hållbarhet. Titel på engelska: Enhancing the degradation rate of microplastics and organizing a study visit about sustainability. Huvudhandledare: Abdusalam Uheida, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan. Biträdande handledare: Helena Lennholm, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan. Examinator: Kristina Andersson, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan. Abstract Microplastics take hundreds to thousands of years to degrade in nature, and pose a threat to the environment. A photocatalytical degradation method have been developed to take advantage of solar light to degrade microplastics, however it takes several months to degrade microplastics with the process. The purpose of this study is to enhance the degradation rate of microplastics by synthesizing a material where photocatalysis is combined with Fenton reaction. A material with zinc oxide nanorods coated with tin oxide and decorated with iron particles (𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0) was synthesized and used to degrade methylene blue, polystyrene and polypropylene. The result show that the degradation rate with a 𝑍𝑛𝑂/𝑆𝑛𝑂2/𝐹𝑒0 – sample is faster than with a 𝑍𝑛𝑂 – sample, and that it can be used to degrade polystyrene and polypropylene. Students’ view on researchers can affect the development of their interest and attitude towards science. Study visits to laboratories have been used to increase students’ interest and give them new experiences. The purpose of this study is to investigate what and how high school students learn during a study visit to a nanotechnology laboratory, and how the study visit affects high school students’ interest and motivation for research and learning. A study visit with 5 stations was organized, and students were given a questionnaire about what they learned during the study visit. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the students’ answers. The result shows that the study visit increased students’ interest in research, and the importance of designing stations so that they are connected to students’ previous knowledge and are within their proximal development zone.