SAFES is hosting a series of microplastics-themed talks during the 2024-25 academic year. The talks will enable faculty to engage with scientific and policy expertise spanning the full microplastics lifecycle. Topics will include polymer design and manufacturing, polymer recycling, the fate and transport of microplastics, and impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. We hope that many interdisciplinary research partnerships will emerge from these conversations.

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Greg Zarus, Gaston Casillas, and Katie Stallings - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

Title: Microplastics - Small size, big challenges

Abstract: This presentation will briefly summarize the current state of microplastics research including: what they are, how they are being identified, the rate of expanding research, microplastics and biomonitoring, and how they are currently understood to behave in certain environments. Our microplastics work at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is aimed at producing literature reviews focused on human health and exposure as well as establishing collaborations. We will give a live demonstration of our unique data visualizations, Hub for Interactive Literature (HILs), which allow researchers to navigate through the figures and references from our microplastic reviews. HILs are especially useful in helping users to home in on specific microplastics aspects. Finally, we will show who and what ATSDR is as an organization and how students can get involved.

Recording: Microplastics Seminar - ATSDR - Thu Oct 3.mp4

Hubs for interactive literature:

Publications:

Other links/resources:

Opportunities for students and post-docs:

Monday, November 18, 2024

Ezgi Toraman - Penn State, Energy & Mineral Engineering and Chemical Engineering

Title: Transforming Waste into Resource - Sustainable Strategies for Plastic Management in a Global Circular Economy

Time: 9:30-10:30

Location: 312 Ag Engineering Building

Abstract: Currently, around 60% of all plastics ever produced remain in waste sites, causing an annual economic loss estimated between $80-120 billion USD. Plastic production, which accounts for 6% of global oil usage, is projected to grow to 20% by 2050. Under harsh landfill and environmental conditions, plastics are subjected to factors such as high salinity, fluctuating temperatures, gas emissions, and microbial interactions. These conditions contribute to the breakdown of plastics into microplastics, which can harm marine ecosystems, wildlife, and human health through food contamination. Our lab applies expertise in catalysis, reaction engineering, and advanced separation techniques like two-dimensional gas chromatography and artificial intelligence to investigate the fundamental chemistry that drives mixed plastic recycling technologies. In this talk, I will demonstrate how a combination of well-defined, controlled experimentation, data science, and advanced analytics enables the collection of experimental data that can aid in refining process design and identifying potential contaminants.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Leah Thornton Hampton - Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)

Title: Microplastic Research to Inform Management Strategies in California

Time: 12:00-1:00

AbstractIn 2018, the California Legislature adopted a pair of bills that require the State to begin building microplastics management strategies for both drinking water and California’s aquatic ecosystems. The passing of these bills initiated a burst of collaborative activity in California to provide a scientific foundation for these legislative mandates. For instance, multiple international efforts have been convened to identify the primary pathways by which microplastics affect aquatic biota and humans, prioritize the microplastic characteristics that are of greatest biological concern, develop frameworks for assessing the risks associated with microplastics, and identify critical thresholds at which those biological effects become pronounced. In addition, methods for both sample collection and analysis have been evaluated to better understand method performance and work toward standardization. Through these activities and others, critical research needs were also identified, laying the groundwork for the next phase of microplastic research and environmental management in California.

RecordingMicroplastics Seminar - Leah Thornton Hampton - Thu Jan 23.mp4

Resources and links related to Leah's talk:

Additional microplastics publications from Leah and co-authors:

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Kat Knauer - National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Title: Transforming the Plastic Industry: Life Cycle Assessment Guided Innovations and Strategies for a Sustainable Future

Time: 10:30-11:45

Location: 252 Erickson Food Science Building

Abstract: The plastic pollution crisis is deeply intertwined with the energy crisis, with projections indicating that by 2050, approximately 20% of fossil fuel consumption will be devoted to plastic production, contributing nearly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions—double that of the aviation sector. To address these challenges, comprehensive systemic transformations are essential to decarbonize the U.S. plastic industry. This involves integrating bio- and waste-based supply chains and creating a circular economy loop for plastics through innovative recycling techniques. Leading these efforts is the Bio-Optimized Technologies to Keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE™) Consortium, a multi-organization initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The consortium is dedicated to developing new chemical upcycling strategies for existing plastics while designing future plastics with inherent recyclability. This presentation will highlight flagship technologies from the BOTTLE Consortium, including low-energy plastic deconstruction methods, novel upcycling approaches for waste intermediates, and the creation of recyclable-by-design (RBD) polymers poised to transform the plastic industry. Topics will also cover integrated economic and life cycle modeling efforts and proposed methods to account for the impact of microplastics in the plastic carbon life cycle.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Lisa Emili - Associate Professor and Chair of the Environmental Studies Program, Penn State Altoona

Time: 10:30-11:45

Location: 252 Erickson Food Science Building

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Odette Mina - Penn State Energy & Environmental Sustainability Lab and Tawanda Zimudzi - Penn State Materials Characterization Lab

Title: Overview of Microplastics Analytical Methods at Penn State

Time: 11:00-12:00

Location: 252 Erickson Food Science Building

Abstract: Microplastics, small plastic particles ranging in size from 1 to 5000 microns, are present in diverse environmental matrices and pose significant threats to human health and ecosystems. The Environmental Contaminants Analytical Laboratory (ECAL) and the Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL) will review physical and chemical characterization techniques for microplastics in a wide range of environmental and biological matrices. In this talk, we will also discuss ECAL's quality assurance and control, standardized procedures for sample preparation, detection and identification, as well as small-scale, research-focused characterization techniques at the MCL. This information will help researchers make informed decisions on the most suitable analytical approach for their research projects.