Airborne microplastics: surface chemistry and cloud-crystallisation properties

Project ID: 2228cd1375 (You will need this ID for your application)

UCL Lead department: Chemistry

Project Summary:

Microplastics originate from a variety of sources including tyre abrasions, fabric degradation, landfill waste, cosmetics and general pollution. They have been found in the remotest of places such as Antarctica and can enter the food chain. Airborne microplastics represent a major global distribution pathway. This project will investigate the effects of microplastics on atmospheric processes and hence potentially the climate of Earth. A wide range of microplastics will be prepared in the lab using commercially relevant polymer materials, such as PE, PP, PS, PVC, PA, PET, Nylon, PTFE and PC, by cryogenic ball milling, and high-shear blending in liquid and gaseous media. The materials will then be subjected to chemical processes that they are likely to experience in the environment such as surface oxidation, fouling and UV irradiation. The surface structures and chemistries will be investigated using state-of-the-art materials characterisation techniques including Raman mapping, XPS and electron microscopy. In addition to making synthetic microplastics, we will set up environmental sampling stations as well as seeking samples from elsewhere in the world. The final step will be to test the microplastics for their abilities to interfere with cloud formation and crystallisation using the bespoke IceBox setup developed in the Salzmann group at UCL. These experiments will give new fundamental insights into the processes that take place at the surfaces of microplastics, affecting water/ice nucleation. Through interactions with existing collaborators, the potential impact of microplastics on our climate will be estimated, providing information which may influence future policies. For this project, the Salzmann group at UCL is looking for a student interested in working at the interfaces between materials and environmental research. Extensive training for the various characterisation techniques and chemistry procedures will be provided by the team.