Have you ever wondered how much plastic is in the water we drink, and the air we breathe in, every day?
These important questions are being researched at length by students and professors at the University of British Columbia through the Push Forward program.
Microplastics—very small pieces of plastic debris that result from the breakdown of synthetic textiles and other sources—pose an increasing threat to both aquatic ecosystems and human health.
In response, UBC Okanagan’s Campus as a Living Lab program this year launched a project aimed at tracking airborne microplastics to improve indoor air quality.
The project is being headed by Dr. Michael Noonan, an Assistant Professor of Biology; Dr. Daniel Rosa, a Lab Technician; and Dr. Laura Grieneisen, another Assistant Professor of Biology.
“Our goal is to better understand how airborne microplastics move through indoor spaces on campus,” Noonan stated in March.
“By measuring microplastic concentrations in air vents across classrooms, offices and labs, we can identify baseline levels and potential hotspots of exposure,” he continued.
The research team is also analyzing microbial ecosystems that attach to microplastic particles, triggering a Trojan horse-like effect.
Financially supported by UBCO’s Office of Research and Innovation, the project seeks to improve health on campus (and beyond) by generating data to inform policy and enhance air quality.
“I’m once again thrilled to see our researchers and staff partnering on such innovative work,” says Dr. Miranda Hart, who heads the Living Lab.
Another UBC team, based out of Vancouver, is turning biological products into potential solutions for water supplies.
Headed by Dr. Orlando Rojas, this UBC group has found a way to remove microplastics from water using natural, renewable materials.
Rojas, who serves as Scientific Director of the BioProducts Institute at the University of British Columbia, stated earlier this year that it has “been very difficult to find solutions to remove micro and nanoplastics because they cannot be removed by the physical barriers of filters or by typical adsorption mechanisms.”
Instead, “We’re using the magic of chemistry to accomplish it.”
The BioProducts Institute has developed a filter that traps up to 99.9% of microplastics in water by combining polyphenol compounds with sawdust.
Unlike polymer and ceramic filters, this method leverages natural resources in a circular fashion.
“Our filter does not contribute to further pollution as it uses renewable and biodegradable materials,” Rojas said, including “tannic acids from plants, bark, wood and leaves, and sawdust, a common byproduct of wood processing.”
Initially unveiled in 2023, the microplastics filter has advanced but remains a lab set-up at this stage, but Rojas is confident that his team’s solution carries the potential to scale and commercialize.
“The results from these efforts will almost immediately have positive effects on our campus,” stated Hart, “and can be used to help improve lives, and the environments, in our wider community.”