This image from the environmental scanning electron microscope shows plastic spheres at 100 nanometers. Researchers are using the microscope to study the lower limits of microplastics.
The American Chemistry Council has awarded $100,000 to researchers at Behrend, where a team of polymer scientists is exploring the lower limits of microplastics and their potential impact in the environment.
The study may help scientists better isolate and identify various plastics that are found in the environment. That would help manufacturers better understand how polymers behave as they degrade—and how other materials might minimize the risk to plant and animal life.
“We’re trying to take a step back and look at this from a different perspective,” said Dr. Xiaoshi Zhang, an assistant professor of plastics engineering technology at Behrend and the lead researcher on the study. “We want to start by developing scientific approaches to understanding how plastics behave and how we can reliably detect them.”
As they degrade, plastics often break into smaller pieces that can be difficult to detect.
“First of all, they’re small,” Zhang said. “They also get mixed in with organic matter, minerals, and glass. ... Some people are very eager to jump to the conclusion that it’s plastic. The truth is, we don’t always know. We don’t have the right tests and processes in place.”
Researchers typically use a tedious process, but in a materials lab at Behrend, Zhang is testing a different method. Using an environmental scanning electron microscope and atomic-force microscopy, he can magnify the surface of a physical sample by up to one million times, seeing details as small as one nanometer.
“The hard part is being able to identify it as one plastic and not another,” Zhang said. “That’s the expertise we can bring to this. We know the properties of plastics pretty well.”
Dr. Alicyn Rhoades, vice chancellor and associate dean for research and graduate studies, is assisting with the grant. Two researchers at the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Laboratories at University Park also are providing input: Dr. Hlengilizwe Nyoni, an assistant research professor, and Dr. Maxwell Wetherington, an assistant research professor of molecular spectroscopy.
The study also aligns with Behrend’s Project RESOLVE, a regional strategy for shifting the plastics, metal-casting, and transportation industries to a circular economic model that addresses plastic pollution in and near Lake Erie. A planned Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness will provide new labs and resources for Behrend researchers who study polymer science.