Geeking Out Over My Research Project
This week I was able to gather more information on the first and only research project completed on identifying the prevalence of microplastics in drinking water. The research was conducted by Orb Media which is a professional nonprofit journalism organization that aims to provide data driven information to its stakeholders. For more information on Orb's background and mission see the link here: https://orbmedia.org/what-we-do
The research conducted by Orb Media stemmed from their question: "If microscopic plastic particles and fibers are found in the world's oceans and freshwater locations, could they be in the drinking water as well? The observational study collected 150 tapwater samples from cities and towns on five continents. The data revealed that microplastics were in fact found in drinking water but also called for more research to be done on the topic. The study was supervised by Sherri Mason, who is a prominent researcher in the field of microplastic pollution. Their study also provided the materials and methods for their research experiment. I was excited to come across this information, because my goal is to try and follow their method for consistency purposes. So far, I have gone through their report and noted the methods and materials section. My next step is to run a practice sample to familiarize myself with the methods and procedures. I will be collecting a tapwater sample from a residential home in Central Phoenix by the end of the week.
I am super stoked to find out how the data compares to the United States data. Based on the report, it appears that only samples from the West Coast, East Coast, and Midwest areas were taken but there is not mention of the Southwest or Arizona specifically. I believe it is imperative to have local data on microplastic pollution in drinking water. Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities and in the top ten largest cities in the United States and therefore it is important to research microplastic pollution in tapwater sources.
References:
https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_final_report
Wow! These researches are astonishing. Researches on microplastics are being conducted daily and will help our environment. I'm glad you took an interest in taking tap water from the public and see for yourself. Hopefully, you'll find a sound result that will aid your research. Keep me posted.
ReplyDeleteThis micro plastic of your project is pretty amazing! Can't wait to see your protocol and see your final results. It'd be pretty cool too if you took water samples from Elementary School to High School and could perhaps test if there are any differences in the school who have much more money and private schools and compare it to that of public schools, who don't have the same kind of benefits as other schools. Excited to see your project and Good luck!
ReplyDelete