The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences awarded a $418,107 Project Grant to Loyola University of Chicago to support the collaborative proposal "Plastic Spiraling in River Networks (PLASTIC-SIREN): Determining the Controls of Watershed Plastic Fluxes Using a Field and Modeling Approach." The three-year award period runs from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024.
Under this award, Loyola University will work with partners to study plastic pollution transport through river networks using field data collection and modeling. The research aims to better understand factors influencing plastic movement and accumulation within watershed systems. This work supports the NSF's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which funds basic research into integrated Earth systems through atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences. Insights gained from this collaborative proposal could help inform mitigation of plastic pollution's impacts on aquatic environments.