Presentation Profile
The degradation and associated contaminants of microplastics in marine environments
Currently Scheduled: 10/11/2022 - 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: Daffodil
Main Author
Zhanfei Liu - University of Texas at Austin
Abstract:
Microplastics, defined as those in size <5mm, are becoming more abundant in marine waters due to the continuous discharge and their resistance to environmental degradation, and they are harmful to the organisms and ecosystems in environments. It is, therefore, critical to understand how plastics degrade biologically and photochemically, and how contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are sorbed to microplastics. In this talk, I will briefly summarize several of my recent or on-going projects related to microplastics, including nurdles pellets along Texas coasts and their associated PAHs and PCBs. Also included are results of plastic degradation from laboratory photooxidation and biological degradation in the deep sea. I will also talk about how state of the art analytical tools, including microscope FTIR, pyrolysis GC/MS and gel permeation chorography, are used to analyze plastic samples.
