Given their small size, resistance to degradation, and pervasiveness in the environment, nano and microplastics can accumulate in organisms throughout the food chain, infiltrate drinking water, and…

Given their small size, resistance to degradation, and pervasiveness in the environment, nano and microplastics can accumulate in organisms throughout the food chain, infiltrate drinking water, and affect human health. Microplastics ranging in size from millimeters to sub-microns are especially pernicious because of the diversity in their size, shape/morphology, composition, biofilm formation, and related complex surface interactions, which also render them incredibly difficult to characterize and subsequently capture and sequester. To address the challenge of removing microplastics from aquatic ecosystems and drinking water, IT is critical to understand the sources from which they enter the water supply and their physical and chemical characteristics, and to then develop efficient, scalable, and economical methods to prevent and remove microplastics contamination. Our teams approach is to develop and test technologies to: (1) characterize microplastics pollution and (2) prevent and remove microplastics from aquatic ecosystems. Pilot testing of these technologies will focus on the great lakes region home to 84% of north america's surface fresh water, drinking water supply for more than 30 million people, and habitat for 3,500 unique plant and animal species. To ensure scalable testing, application, and adoption of these technologies, the team is collaborating with partners in the wastewater treatment and laundry machine manufacturing industries. Given that an estimated 35% of microplastics pollution enters aquatic environments through laundry processing, engaging these partners is essential. The team will achieve targeted capture and sequester of microplastics using and combining three types of novel technologies: (1) metal organic frameworks (MOFS), (2) oleophilic, hydrophobic, multifunctional (OHM) sponges, and (3) 3D printed hairy structures inspired by filtration bristles of baleen whales. Combining these technologies (e.g., coating OHM sponges and/or hairy structures with MOFS) will allow the team to target different sized microplastics ranging from milli to nano meter scale using a single filter. To evaluate different options for mitigating microplastics, techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis (LCA) will be conducted. These analyses will include not only life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions but also emerging LCA metrics that account for ecosystem effects of microplastic. Throughout the project, the PIS will engage with a technical advisory board, industrial partners, and community partners to incorporate feedback from potential end users into the design and implementation plans and provide opportunities for outreach, education, and scaling.