Microplastics CoS connects campus faculty and researchers in diverse units across campus who are working on the exponentially growing field of microplastics (MPs). To study the chemistry, transport and impacts of nano and micro-size plastic particles requires a vast and wide-ranging expertise including soil science, ecology, chemistry, engineering, water sciences and many other areas. As microplastics are emerging as a major public and ecological health threat, we also include economics and policy expertise in our CoS.
Key questions we address include:
- How do MP’s originate, degrade and transport?
- Exactly what impacts do MP’s have on human health?
- How do MP’s mobilize across food webs and affect ecosystem functions?
- What are the best ways to mitigate impacts and threats from MP’s, from both policy and technological perspectives?
Contact
Michael McKinney (mmckinne@utk.edu).