Page 19 - NovDec2023 Vol41 No5
P. 19

By Katelyn Keenehan, Asst. Editor, Teknovation.biz
         Plastic for Breakfast - No Thanks!






           Plastic is everywhere. Consumers   or other natural factors.           waterways, which pulls microplastics
         cannot escape it. You wake up and     “More production over the last two   into the ecosystem. Other times, water
         brush your teeth with a toothbrush   decades obviously led to more visibility   that may contain microplastics is used
         made of plastic, drink from a water   of plastic in the natural environment,”   to water plants, or feed animals. Many
         bottle created with plastic, pay for your   Bathi said. “We’ve seen microplastics   processed meats are then wrapped in
         coffee with a swipe of plastic, write your   in water and food, and now to a certain   plastic before hitting store shelves.
         notes with ink in plastic, type on your   extent we are seeing it in animals,   “It is our ultimate goal to try and find
         keyboard made of plastic and eat your   human tissue, and even in mother’s milk  targeted treatment techniques,” Bathi
         lunch wrapped in a plastic bag. We are   in some cases.”                 said. “We want to find a nature-based
         surrounded.                           He said the full scope of dangers   solution.”
           But would you ever choose to eat your  surrounding the consumption of   In 2022, his research team received
         toothbrush? Water bottle or keyboard?   microplastics is still being studied;   $60,000 in funding for the study -
         Probably not.                       however, microplastics are proven to   $30,000 from the U.S. Geological
           However, Dr. Jejal Reddy Bathi’s   be big carriers of pollutants and toxic   Survey and a $30,000 match from the
         research at the University of Tennessee   chemicals into the human body.  University.
         at Chattanooga (UTC) shows we have    Bathi, alongside several students,   In 2023, the team received an
         all eaten plastic. In fact, he predicts we   spent the last five to six years studying   additional $25,000 from the U.S.
         all eat a “credit card-sized amount” of   two things: how to detect microplastics   Environmental Protection Agency to
         plastic every day.                  and how to treat microplastics.      continue the research. Now, they hope
           “If you look at the world population,   “Trying to test for microplastics is   to qualify for a Phase 2 grant of up to
         certain places might be consuming   challenging,” Bathi said. “A microplastic   $100,000 to continue the research.
         more. But that is a horrible amount   is considered something smaller than   Bathi said there are three easy ways to
         that is running through the human   5 millimeters (smaller than a pencil   reduce the amount of microplastics in
         body in a day on average,” Bathi said.   eraser). They are so tiny it’s hard to trace   the ecosystem.
         He is an assistant professor of Civil and   them in the environment.”    •  Educate yourself about the dangers of
         Environmental Engineering at UTC.     His students are collecting samples   plastic.
           There are small plastic bits called   from waterways across the state. Some   •  Avoid single-use plastics like straws,
         microplastics in the foods and drinks   of the samples include water from   water bottles, and grocery bags.
         we consume. These can come from two   Warner Park, Heritage Park, and other   •  Dispose of any plastic products in a
         sources. Primary microplastics are made  creeks in the Chattanooga area. With   proper way
         from fibers for clothing or cosmetics.   fingers crossed for additional funding,
         Secondary microplastics come from   Bathi hopes to progress toward testing   Katelyn Keenehan's recent story in
         larger plastic items such as straws,   samples from the Tennessee River.   Teknovation.biz touches on water quality
         bottles, or caps. They are broken down   Treatment is also a challenge. Storm   issues that have been discussed in several
         over time by sun radiation, ocean waves,  runoff can go directly into streams and   recent TPW issues.


           BE SEEN IN TPW!                                              There are two ways to be seen:



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