Plastic pollution, especially from microplastics and nanoplastics, poses significant environmental risks as these particles infiltrate drinking water, air, and even human brains. Beizhan Yan, an environmental geochemist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, is leading efforts to detect and analyze these particles to comprehend their harmful effects. He is actively developing innovative methods to filter microfibers generated from laundry, aiming to prevent them from contaminating aquatic ecosystems. Collaborative efforts with other scientists at Columbia emphasize a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle this alarming issue.
"Laundry generates huge amounts of microfibers that can end up in the ocean and in rivers," says Yan. "We're developing new techniques to filter out these particles and remove the fibers before they get into our sewage systems."
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