As a Fulbright scholar, I am also conducting research, and my project works to quantify the magnitude of microplastic pollution in the northwestern part of the Amazon River. The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 30 million people and 400 indigenous communities, whose economic and cultural activities depend on the river. Due to a recent increase in population and industry combined with insufficient wastewater treatment, however, the use of these water reservoirs is currently being threatened by microplastic pollution. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. These tiny particles can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose; while, in the meantime, they are wreaking havoc on the environment and its inhabitants.
Most investigations of microplastic pollution have been conducted in the northern hemisphere, whereas in South America, the extent of microplastic pollution is practically unknown! Therefore, my project is working to identify and measure the microplastic pollution in the sediment, fish and surface-water samples collected from sites in the Peruvian Amazon. By quantifying the extent of microplastic pollution, we can then develop efficient wastewater treatment plans and robust environmental legislation to limit plastic pollution in this area. I love my project because it allows me to pursue a global problem in my field of environmental engineering and work toward providing a basic human need in the developing world
When I am not in the lab, I am exploring!
