Valparaiso University's research into how plastics impact nature and human health will be able to continue.
Plastics don't decompose chemically. Instead, they break into smaller and smaller pieces. Eventually, these microscopic particles turn up in water, food and human bodies. And with the increase in plastics manufacturing in recent years, Valparaiso University chemistry professor Dr. Julie Peller worries that children are now being exposed to far more of these particles than previous generations.
Peller and her research team have been using radiation chemistry to speed up the aging process for microplastics samples to let them see how they change over time and what hazards they may cause. Now, the university says the National Science Foundation has awarded the project another $300,000, continuing a grant awarded in 2020. That will help cover the cost of equipment, student researchers and sharing results in papers and conferences.
Peller said in a statement that the more they work on the research, the more questions arise.
