BPA Adsorption on Microplastics in Different Chemical Conditions
Location
Poster #11
Start Date
2-5-2025 10:00 AM
Department
Environmental Science
Abstract
Microplastics are increasingly seen as a health and environmental issue, both for their direct effects when ingested by living organisms and for their ability to adsorb and concentrate other pollutants. Current water treatment processes do not adequately remove microplastics from municipal water supplies, so a thorough understanding of how microplastics affect water quality is needed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of certain water quality parameters on the ability of polystyrene microplastics to adsorb Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is an endocrine disruptor used in plastics including food containers, baby bottles, plastic water bottles, and more. BPA can have negative effects on people due to it mimicking estrogen which may influence fertility issues, disrupt hormone systems, and reproduction functions. BPA was chosen because of its ability to adsorb well onto microplastics in comparison to other chemical contaminants found in water. The water quality chemical parameters investigated were chloride, nitrate phosphate, and copper ions. Simulated water samples of chloride were made with three concentrations while nitrate, phosphate, and copper were made with one concentration. Concentrations of each solute were selected based upon Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines and previous results obtained from testing Chicago River water samples. A constant amount of polystyrene microplastics and BPA were added to each sample and the mixtures were shaken for 5 days to allow time for the BPA to adsorb. The samples were then filtered and the amount of BPA left in the water was determined by measuring its UV absorbance on a UV-vis spectrophotometer. A decrease in the amount of BPA present in the water indicates that it was adsorbed onto the microplastic surface. Conclusions include comparisons between different concentrations of chloride and comparisons between each ion to identify how they affect BPA adsorption. For the future, investigating how these microplastics with BPA may affect the Chicago River water in the North Shore Channel.
Faculty Sponsor
Samantha Brown-Xu
BPA Adsorption on Microplastics in Different Chemical Conditions
Poster #11
Microplastics are increasingly seen as a health and environmental issue, both for their direct effects when ingested by living organisms and for their ability to adsorb and concentrate other pollutants. Current water treatment processes do not adequately remove microplastics from municipal water supplies, so a thorough understanding of how microplastics affect water quality is needed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of certain water quality parameters on the ability of polystyrene microplastics to adsorb Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is an endocrine disruptor used in plastics including food containers, baby bottles, plastic water bottles, and more. BPA can have negative effects on people due to it mimicking estrogen which may influence fertility issues, disrupt hormone systems, and reproduction functions. BPA was chosen because of its ability to adsorb well onto microplastics in comparison to other chemical contaminants found in water. The water quality chemical parameters investigated were chloride, nitrate phosphate, and copper ions. Simulated water samples of chloride were made with three concentrations while nitrate, phosphate, and copper were made with one concentration. Concentrations of each solute were selected based upon Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines and previous results obtained from testing Chicago River water samples. A constant amount of polystyrene microplastics and BPA were added to each sample and the mixtures were shaken for 5 days to allow time for the BPA to adsorb. The samples were then filtered and the amount of BPA left in the water was determined by measuring its UV absorbance on a UV-vis spectrophotometer. A decrease in the amount of BPA present in the water indicates that it was adsorbed onto the microplastic surface. Conclusions include comparisons between different concentrations of chloride and comparisons between each ion to identify how they affect BPA adsorption. For the future, investigating how these microplastics with BPA may affect the Chicago River water in the North Shore Channel.