EFRI E3P: Sequestering Microplastics Using Upcycled Plastic Waste

微塑料在整个环境中的传播是一个日益严重的问题，可能对国家的生态系统造成长期危害。许多研究已经量化了它们的存在，确定了它们的来源，并就它们对人类和环境健康的负面影响提出了关切。微塑料的一个主要来源是废水，例如，含有衣物纤维的洗衣废水。虽然许多较大的塑料颗粒可以通过城市污水处理设施隔离，但相当数量的较小塑料颗粒被释放到环境中。在这个项目中，研究人员将制定有效的微塑料修复策略，以在这种污染源进入我们的水道之前捕获和消除它。他们将设计和使用的用于捕获微塑料的粘合剂本身将由废塑料制成。研究人员将测试这些添加到这些废塑料中的不同功能修饰，以评估材料捕获不同尺寸，形状和成分的微塑料的能力。一旦捕获，研究人员计划将各种微塑料升级为工业可用材料。这三个项目目标将共同促进可持续的塑料经济，减少对化石燃料的依赖，并减少河流、湖泊和海洋中的塑料废物。这项跨学科的工作将得到NSF工程理事会和化学部的支持。在这个项目的过程中，学生将获得跨学科的研究经验，通过化学，材料科学，工程和环境科学的角度对现实世界的工作，具有挑战性的可持续发展问题。残疾人（特别是神经多样性个体）和其他来自科学界历史上代表性不足的群体的个人将参与该项目，以促进多样化，具有全球竞争力的劳动力。通过与密歇根州当地社区和塑料经济的主要利益相关者的接触，该项目的成果将被广泛分享，以告知公民和行业循环塑料经济的重要性和实用性。该项目旨在重新使用废弃的高吸水性聚合物（SAP）作为粘合材料，以捕获和去除水中的微塑料。这些目标将通过使用模拟阐明微塑料吸附机制，通过合成微调粘合剂的性能，基于沉降测量粘合剂涂层颗粒的澄清，以及建模环境，社会和经济生命周期来实现。该团队将推进粘合剂介导的微塑料捕获的基础知识（例如，结合、热力学、动力学和选择性），并阐明如何在功能性废水澄清剂中最好地使用这些组分。新兴技术可持续性评估是一种新的评估工具，它考虑到环境，经济和社会方面，正在开发用于评估新技术发展的潜在成本，权衡和收益。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The spread of microplastics throughout the environment is a growing problem with potential for long-term harm to the nation’s ecosystems. Numerous studies have quantified their presence, identified their sources, and raised concern regarding their negative impacts on human and environmental health. One major source of microplastics is wastewater, for example, laundry waste-water that contains fibers from clothing. While many larger plastic particles can be sequestered by municipal wastewater treatment facilities, a sizable number of smaller plastics are released into the environment. In this project, the investigators will develop efficient microplastic remediation strategies to capture and eliminate this source of pollution before it enters our waterways. The adhesives they will design and use to capture the microplastics will themselves be made of waste plastics. The investigators will test these different functional modifications added to these waste plastics to assess the material's ability to capture microplastics of different sizes, shapes and compositions. Once captured, the investigators plan to upcycle the various microplastics into industrially usable materials. Together, these three project goals will bolster a sustainable plastics economy with less reliance on fossil fuels as well as reduced plastic waste in rivers, lakes, and oceans. This interdisciplinary work will be supported by both NSF Engineering Directorate and the Chemistry Division. In the course of this project, students will gain interdisciplinary research experience working on real-world, challenging sustainability problems through the perspectives of chemistry, materials science, engineering, and environmental science. Persons with disabilities (especially neurodiverse individuals) and other individuals from groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences will be engaged in the project to promote a diverse, globally competitive workforce. Through engagement with local Michigan communities and key stakeholders in the plastics economy, the outcomes of this project will be widely shared to inform citizens and industry about the importance and practicality of a circular plastics economy.This project aims to re-use waste superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) as adhesive material which will capture and remove microplastcs from water. These goals will be achieved by elucidating mechanisms of microplastic adsorption using simulations, fine-tuning the properties of the adhesive through synthesis, measuring clarification for adhesive-coated particles based on sedimentation, and modeling environmental, social, and economic life-cycles. The team will advance fundamental knowledge in adhesive-mediated microplastic capture (e.g., the binding, thermodynamics, kinetics, and selectivity) and elucidate how best to use these components in functional wastewater clarifiers. Emerging Technology Sustainability Assessment, a novel assessment tool that takes into consideration of environmental, economic and social aspects, is being developed for evaluating the potential costs, tradeoffs, and benefits of the new technology developments. The investigators aim to use this technology in laundry, to capture microfibers at their source, or in wastewater treatment applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.