Microplastics? Maybe...

Today was an exciting day in the lab, as I was finally able to do the first microplastics extractions from the sediment samples I collected in October. I only had enough solution to run four samples, but I'm glad that I was able to see some progress on the work that has kept me quite busy this year. On the left are three examples of what I found today, but there were more. All three items appear to be fibrous and two are black, while the third appears to be red/purple in color.

Whether or not these items are microplastics is another story. There are naturally occurring fibrous materials that can get into the ocean, including animal fibers and plant fibers (like cotton or husk fibers), so further analysis is needed to identify if the fibers I found in the samples are synthetic.

I am beyond excited though to have completed my first extractions. I have been frustrated by the incidental items that the pandemic has affected--shipping times for one--but to have gotten the chance to continue my research is awesome.

I need to get more materials to do more of the microplastics work (I bought enough to run tests before committing to large quantities), but I will be excited to share more of the process in the coming weeks.