From the environment to the human brain, URI to co-host discussion of plastic pollution impact
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| Researchers at the University of Rhode Island estimate the top two inches of the floor of Narragansett Bay contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics. (URI Photo / Mike Salerno) |
Narragansett Bay is proof of how reliant society has become on plastic. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island estimate the top two inches of the floor of the bay contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics. A public forum at URI on Wednesday, Aug. 21, will ask the question: what does this mean for our environment and our health?
Three
URI faculty members will provide answers and insight at “Breaking Down Plastics.”
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| Discover how plastic is infiltrating our daily lives at a panel discussion hosted by Rhode Island PBS at URI on Aug. 21. “Breaking Down Plastics” is free and open to the public. (Photos / Rhode Island PBS) |
The event, held on URI’s Kingston Campus, will feature a screening of the Rhode Island PBS Weekly segment, “Green Seeker: Plastic Pollution,” followed by a conversation moderated by Rhode Island PBS reporter Michelle San Miguel.
URI research into microplastics made headlines last year when the first study of its kind revealed prevalent microplastics in Narragansett Bay, while URI researchers simultaneously published reports on their harmful effects and potential for serious health consequences.
San Miguel interviewed URI researchers for her “Green Seeker: Plastic Pollution” segment, providing an in-depth look at plastic pollution.
In
the piece, researchers discussed the staggering estimate that the top two
inches of Narragansett Bay’s floor contains more than 1,000 tons of microplastics
and that buildup has occurred in just the last 10 to 20 years.
At the forum, San Miguel will continue the conversation, leading a discussion with University experts John (J.P.) Walsh from the Graduate School of Oceanography and Jyothi Menon and Jaime Ross from the College of Pharmacy, who will break down how plastic consumption is infiltrating our daily lives. They’ll explore how plastic affects our brains as we age, the increasing human exposure to plastics and its potential health risks, and the effects of plastic pollution on water bodies and marine life.
Walsh is
a professor of oceanography whose research focuses on marine geology and
coastal sedimentary processes and hazards. He has conducted research around the
world and across the U.S. He recently spearheaded efforts to measure
microplastics on the shoreline and seabed of Narragansett Bay.
Menon is
an associate professor in the department of biomedical and pharmaceutical
sciences, specializing in nanomedicine, drug delivery, biomaterials and tissue
engineering. She has a focus in her work on detecting and mitigating the effects of microplastics and
nanoplastics in humans.
Ross is an assistant professor of
neuroscience within the George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience at URI.
Her lab focuses on genetic and genomic approaches to understand the basic
mechanisms of disease, especially brain aging disorders such as Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s disease.
The
three will be interviewed by San Miguel, a reporter and co-host for Rhode
Island PBS Weekly who recently reported on climate change’s impact on Rhode Island’s lobster population for
the show, with perspectives from URI professor Jeremy Collie and alumnus Ebben
Howarth ’23. San Miguel covers a range of topics including politics, health,
and science, and has been honored twice by the National Educational
Telecommunications Association for her reporting.
“Breaking
Down Plastics: A Conversation on How Plastic Pollution Affects Us All” is free
and open to the public. To learn more and to RSVP, please visit ripbs.org.