In April, high school students from Parsippany and Millburn, New Jersey, got firsthand experience investigating microplastics in their surroundings.
The two-day lab visits to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School, began with a personalized request from the lead research mentor Joaquim Goes, who asked students to bring a few articles of clothing from home and shrimp purchased locally from the grocery store.
Starting with a casual and informative conversation about the major trends in microplastics around the world, including the prevalence of microplastics in detergent, cosmetics, food systems and new studies linking microplastics to human health, Goes cited examples from his research of how these ubiquitous particles have affected food, water and security issues. He also discussed promising new research for tackling the microplastics crisis, including the discovery and testing of bacterial enzymes and filters for washing machines. A research professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Goes studies ocean ecosystems and the ways plankton are responding to climate change.
After the overview of microplastics issues, students geared up in their white lab coats to delve deeper into microplastics investigation. They got their hands dirty by deveining shrimp and washing their clothes. The students also collected water from a local pond and tested laundry sheets. These activities generated lab samples to test for the presence of microplastics. And they found that all samples—shrimp, laundry water, laundry sheets, pond water—showed traces of these tiny particles.
When the sessions concluded, the students were asked to reflect on their biggest takeaway from the lab activities. They highlighted the important lessons they learned about the significance of collecting “refined and unbiased data,” the value of gaining hands-on experience in the lab, the ubiquity of plastics in the world around us and the concerns they raise for human and environmental health.
“I never thought about the relation between washing clothes and increasing microplastics in the ocean, but the Lamont Lab helped me to understand that connection,” said one of the participants.
“My takeaway would be that data collection is fundamental to efforts to solve problems like microplastics. We needed to be extremely precise with our sequestration of microplastics from the environment, taking a rigorous approach to isolate them from organic material like tissue or fabric,” another student said.
“The biggest takeaway for me was that plastic is so deeply embedded in our society that it will be extremely difficult to transition away from it. Microplastics exist in the air, our water and food systems and it is important for us to combine individual and collective efforts to make a change. It was also very interesting to learn more about the spread of algae and how it is caused and contributes to climate change,” a third student said.
Because the lab visit can accommodate a limited number of students, more cohorts of students will be invited to participate in the summer. In parallel, a virtual summer program—open to all middle and high schools around the world—is invited to join the ongoing conversation on microplastics issues in water systems. More information can be found here.
This student experience is a part of the project, “Community Science to Address Microplastic Pollution in Environmental Underserved Communities in New Jersey and New York.” The project builds upon the Columbia University Center for Sustainable Development’s Eco Ambassador Program and Eco Ambassadors Solutions Lab with SDGs Today, which equips youth participants with scientific knowledge and skills to promote the circular economy, via development of solutions for mitigating plastic use and establishment of sustainable solutions for management and stewardship of plastic waste within their communities. The project is also a collaborative effort with New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and New York Sea Grant to not only develop timely and effective marine debris curricula but to also expand environmental literacy outreach to school districts in various communities in New Jersey and New York urban watersheds. The project is supported by NOAA & Sea Grant’s Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions Competition.
