Author(s): Courtney J. Ebert, Korryn Narvaez, Eliza Ballantyne, Stone Smith, Reece Anderson
Mentor(s): Dustin W. Shipp, Sara S. Rocks
Institution UVU
As plastic use continues to rise, their environmental consequences have become a growing concern. Secondary microplastics (MPs) are derivatives of a macropastic. The prevalence of secondary MPs is expected to increase as macroplastics continually break down. These secondary MPs constitute the majority of the natural environmental pollution. MPs have been linked to various health and environmental problems. While some negative effects of MPs have been identified, their impact on subterranean and karst environments are still widely undiscovered. Raman spectroscopy is an effective tool to identify MPs as it is successful in detecting low concentrations of molecules within a sample. The unique molecular spectral fingerprints allow for detection and differentiation of various molecules. This research identifies the types of plastic in environmental samples using Raman spectroscopy. We improve methods of taking Raman spectra of environmental samples by investigating the impact of background substrates on Raman spectra of MPs. A Raman spectrometer is used in conjunction with existing machine learning algorithms to identify the types of plastics present in the same. Our current MP classifier is made more robust by expanding the training set with a spectral library of plastics and rubber. By developing these methods, we can overcome some of the common challenges of Raman spectroscopy. Improved measurement quality and an expanded spectral library enables the identification of MPs and the relative concentration of plastics in the environmental samples. This research will allow for the identification of what MPs are present in lakes in the Timpanogos Cave System, all with different distances from tourist access. The impact of this research will allow for future studies to be conducted on MP travel in Utah water systems and the effects of MPs on the subterranean environments of these systems.