Removal, isolation, and analysis of microplastics from local soil using physical and chemical techniques

Plastic pollution continues to be a severe and -still- unresolved problem in the 21st century. The mechanical fragmentation of plastic waste in the natural environment has led to the formation of below 5 mm plastic litter known as “microplastics.” While many scientists have worked studying the fate of microplastics in oceanic and fresh water, less attention has been placed on soil. Therefore, the purpose of this project focuses on soil samples, specifically those collected locally at the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center in Denton, TX. Techniques such as mechanical sieving, vacuum filtration, and Fenton oxidation will be described; furthermore, spectroscopic, and microscopic results from the collected microplastics will be discussed in detail.