Plastics in the Water Solutions in the Classroom

Research into Plastic Solutions

Catherine Prunella

Water Quality Extension Specialist

February 12, 2024

Pair/Trio Introductions

THINK & WRITE FOR 1 MINUTE!

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• Preferred Name

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• School/Institution

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• 1 thing you try or teach to reduce plastic pollution

Pair/Trio Introductions

~2 MINUTES/PERSON

Person who travelled the FURTHEST to be here shares first

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• Preferred Name

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• School/Institution

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• 1 thing you try or teach to reduce plastic pollution

Catherine Prunella,

Water Quality

Specialist

Outline

Welcome & Colleague Introductions

Solution 1: Microplastic Filtration

Solution 2: Plastic Catcher

Solution 3: Plastic Breakdown

Projects funded by NOAA Sea Grant via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,

Led by Dr. Beizhan Yan at Columbia University

Solution 1: Filtering Microplastics from Laundry

Microplastics in the environment

Microplastics in Antarctic snow (Aves et al., 2022)

Microplastics in amphipods from the Mariana Trench (Jamieson et al., 2022)

Microplastics have been found in:

• Salt
• Sugar
• Plastic water bottles
• Plastic food containers
• Tea bags
• Fish
• Bivalve mollusk
• Crustacean
• Milk
• Honey
• Fruits and vegetables

Ziana et al., 2023

Microplastics in the household

Qian et al., 2023

Yadav et al.,

2023

Microplastics in humans - correlations

• 58% of patients had plastics in the carotid artery plaque. (n=257)

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• Polyethylene (58%) and polyvinyl chloride (12%).

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• Polyethylene is the most widely used plastic in the world – food wrap, cosmetics

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• PVC is the third most produced plastic – construction pipes, plastic bottles

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• Patients with plastics in plaque had a higher risk of strokes, heart attacks, and death

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• “It is important to note that our results do not prove causality”

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• There may exposure to other variables, health effects, and behaviors of the patients.

Microplastics in humans - correlations

• 58% of patients had plastics in the carotid artery plaque. (n=257)

Microplastics in humans - correlations

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• “These data are associative and do not establish a causal role”
• More research needed with much larger cohorts.

Laundry, tires, and dust are the largest sources of microplastics

to oceans

Boucher and Friot, 2017

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What do you think your shirt is made of?

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Guess or check your clothing tag

Textile Exchange (2020) in OECD, 2021

Natural Textiles

Synthetic Textiles

Jeans

(mostly cotton)

Fleece

(100% polyester)

T Shirt

(100% cotton)

Microfibers released during laundry

Microfibers released during washing

Wastewater Treatment Facility

Sludge

Microfibers released during drying

Solution example:

Laundry Filtration

• Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Fighting Fibers Act of 2024:

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• Requires washing machines sold in the United States to contain microfiber filtration beginning in 2030.

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Solution example:

Laundry Filtration

and Policy

Solution 2:

Plastic Catching

with AI

Plastic in waters

Bronx River Alliance

Plastic Catcher

Solution 3:

Plastic Degradation

Polymer

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Monomer

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Think for 30 seconds and share!

• A few months from now, you’re teaching your students about plastic pollution.

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• Your students are really engaged and interested in the subject.

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• They ask you, how we are going to stop plastic pollution?

• What is one thing you learned during this presentation?

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• Questions you still have?

Final Reflection

Thank you, and please keep in touch!

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cjp275@cornell.edu