My research at Lafayette College focuses on the impact of natural organic matter and antibiotics on polystyrene nanoplastic. Plastic is a major pollutant, and once it is released into the environment, it can decompose into smaller organic fragments, micro- and nanoplastic. Because of their size, these particles can be more reactive, be harder to characterize, and possess different properties. I characterize the nanoplastic using methods like dynamic light scattering, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and quartz crystal microbalance modeling. After that, I expose the pristine nanoplastic to other naturally-present molecules (natural organic matter and other pollutants like antibiotics) and identify the changes in properties. Overall, my lab hopes to identify interactions between plastic pollution and the environment.
Research Advisor: Dr. Arielle Mensch, menscha@lafayette.edu
Research website: https://sites.lafayette.edu/menscha/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atthebenchwithmensch