Novel Technique to Identify and Quantify Plastics Within a Water Sample for Citizen Science

I wanted a simple solution to an immense problem. I quickly found this was not a feasible goal to meet within the timespan of only one research season. So I commenced my journey by asking myself a simple question. How do we tell the difference between microplastic polymers in water? I spent a long time reading past literature. I read countless reports and articles over how microplastics are currently differentiated. What I found were processes which were time consuming, ineffective, expensive, and inaccessible to the public. No standard protocols for the identification or quantification of microplastics in water samples currently exist.

So I set out to try and find a solution to this problem. I asked myself "Can microplastics in water samples be differentiated and quantified according to their absorbance of light and fluorescence?" If so, this could lead to a process which could differentiate and possibly even quantify microplastics within a water sample. I wanted this process to be quick, effective, cost efficient, and available to the public. I decided I would go about answering this question by using a photo spectrometer. I hypothesized microplastics in water samples could be differentiated and quantified according to their absorbance of light. This would be determined by whether or not the absorbance and fluorescence spectra of a given plastic differed from that of other plastics. If so then the plastics could be differentiated and quantified by their absorbance and fluorescence levels at different wavelengths. I began to write hypotheses and methods.

Along the way I encountered many obstacles. Even just developing my research process and methods was a long and tedious process that took a couple months. Two years ago when I was first beginning my research, Covid hit. I had about 30 minutes to get all my school supplies and research equipment gathered. We thought we were getting a simple 2 week extension on our spring break. We couldn't have been more wrong. I walked home that day with a backpack over my shoulder and a huge box of research equipment in hand. We soon realized that Miss Rona was here to stay. After weeks of remote working, endless zoom calls, and plenty of hand sanitizer my project was finally finished. I submitted it to the regional NJAS science fair. Not long after we got back some results and found out my research was among the top 6 and would advance to state competition. I was ecstatic and I got back to work on my submission for the state NJAS science fair. The day came and I submitted my research along with a video. I anxiously awaited results for days.

Then the day finally came and when I watched the award presentation video I watched my name scroll across the screen as one of the top ten finalists who would represent Nebraska at AJAS. Along with being recognized as a top finalist I was also awarded the Nebraska Stockholm Junior Water Prize. That moment I was happier than words could describe. Then exactly one year later there I was again, submitting my research to virtual fairs. Once again I was honored and lucky enough to win my state's science fair for a second time. I was more than excited, I was going to be inducted as a two-time AJAS fellow.

Through the pandemic I have kept my research going and am now on my 3rd year pursuing research and look forward to hopefully presenting at at least one in-person fair this year. You may not believe it, but I am now a senior in high school, have been in research since my sophomore year, and have yet to present at a single in-person fair. Though I'll agree the pandemic has been a tremendous obstacle, it has also been an opportunity for me to have time to focus on my research. Over the years I have learned to make the most of the situations we are put in, and to never take what we have for granted. Every moment, like the AJAS experience, though virtual, should be appreciated.

Attached to this section you will find a copy of my complete project report. This does exclude the appendices as including them would double the file size and page number. Feel free to reach out with any questions, I would be more than happy to try and answer them.