Award Abstract # 2029251
EFRI E3P: Sequestering Microplastics Using Upcycled Plastic Waste

NSF Org: EFMA
Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI)
Recipient: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Initial Amendment Date: August 31, 2020
Latest Amendment Date: September 20, 2023
Award Number: 2029251
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Catherine Walker
cawalker@nsf.gov
 (703)292-7125
EFMA
 Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI)
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: October 1, 2020
End Date: September 30, 2025 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $2,000,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $2,000,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2020 = $2,000,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Anne McNeil (Principal Investigator)
    ajmcneil@umich.edu
  • Brian Love (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Paul Zimmerman (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Jose Alfaro (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
1109 GEDDES AVE STE 3300
ANN ARBOR
MI  US  48109-1015
(734)763-6438
Sponsor Congressional District: 06
Primary Place of Performance: University of Michigan Ann Arbor
930 N University
Ann Arbor
MI  US  48109-1055
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
06
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): GNJ7BBP73WE9
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): PROJECTS,
EFRI Research Projects
Primary Program Source: 01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 090Z, 9102
Program Element Code(s): 197800, 763300
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

The spread of microplastics throughout the environment is a growing problem with potential for long-term harm to the nation?s ecosystems. Numerous studies have quantified their presence, identified their sources, and raised concern regarding their negative impacts on human and environmental health. One major source of microplastics is wastewater, for example, laundry waste-water that contains fibers from clothing. While many larger plastic particles can be sequestered by municipal wastewater treatment facilities, a sizable number of smaller plastics are released into the environment. In this project, the investigators will develop efficient microplastic remediation strategies to capture and eliminate this source of pollution before it enters our waterways. The adhesives they will design and use to capture the microplastics will themselves be made of waste plastics. The investigators will test these different functional modifications added to these waste plastics to assess the material's ability to capture microplastics of different sizes, shapes and compositions. Once captured, the investigators plan to upcycle the various microplastics into industrially usable materials. Together, these three project goals will bolster a sustainable plastics economy with less reliance on fossil fuels as well as reduced plastic waste in rivers, lakes, and oceans. This interdisciplinary work will be supported by both NSF Engineering Directorate and the Chemistry Division.

In the course of this project, students will gain interdisciplinary research experience working on real-world, challenging sustainability problems through the perspectives of chemistry, materials science, engineering, and environmental science. Persons with disabilities (especially neurodiverse individuals) and other individuals from groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences will be engaged in the project to promote a diverse, globally competitive workforce. Through engagement with local Michigan communities and key stakeholders in the plastics economy, the outcomes of this project will be widely shared to inform citizens and industry about the importance and practicality of a circular plastics economy.

This project aims to re-use waste superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) as adhesive material which will capture and remove microplastcs from water. These goals will be achieved by elucidating mechanisms of microplastic adsorption using simulations, fine-tuning the properties of the adhesive through synthesis, measuring clarification for adhesive-coated particles based on sedimentation, and modeling environmental, social, and economic life-cycles. The team will advance fundamental knowledge in adhesive-mediated microplastic capture (e.g., the binding, thermodynamics, kinetics, and selectivity) and elucidate how best to use these components in functional wastewater clarifiers. Emerging Technology Sustainability Assessment, a novel assessment tool that takes into consideration of environmental, economic and social aspects, is being developed for evaluating the potential costs, tradeoffs, and benefits of the new technology developments. The investigators aim to use this technology in laundry, to capture microfibers at their source, or in wastewater treatment applications.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Ramkumar, Malavika and Ji, Woojung and Thurber, Henry E and Clough, Madeline E and Chirdon, Sarena and McNeil, Anne J "Enhancing microplastic capture efficiencies with adhesive coatings on stainless-steel filters" RSC Applied Polymers , v.2 , 2024 https://doi.org/10.1039/d3lp00282a Citation Details
Milne, Safron L and Ramkumar, Malavika and Rieland, Julie M and Thurber, Henry E and Love, Brian J and McNeil, Anne J "Informing the Public about Microplastics through a University and Museum Partnership" Journal of Chemical Education , v.101 , 2024 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c01017 Citation Details
Rieland, Julie M. and Hu, Zeyuan and Deese, Julian S. and Love, Brian J. "Pressure sensitive adhesives for quantifying microplastic isolation" Separation and Purification Technology , v.307 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122819 Citation Details

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