The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will receive $449,385 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to assess the controls of plastic photochemical reactivity in the surface ocean from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2025. WHOI researchers Collin Ward and Taylor Nelson will study how factors like particle size, plastic formulation, and sunlight wavelength impact the oxidation, chain scission, and dissolved organic production of consumer plastics exposed to solar radiation at sea. The project also includes outreach to high school students and training of undergraduates and graduates. The research aims to improve understanding of photo-degradation processes governing the fate and impacts of marine plastic pollution, informing modeling of plastic transport and persistence in the ocean.
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