Design, Chemical analysis and testing of (bio)degradable plastics

The research is part of the PlasticDaphnia project which aims at classifying and reducing the environmental risk of microplastic in freshwater ecosystems. The research includes synthesizing and testing conventional plastics and bioplastics, as well as developing novel bioplastics that are biodegradable and thus less harmful upon leakage as microplastic into the environment. Specifically, the aim is to develop future biodegradable polymers for synthetic textile applications, as fabrics have shown to release large amounts of microplastics into freshwater environments during washing. The toxicology of these polymers can then be assessed and compared to conventional plastics with the novel filter-feeder microbiome assays that are being developed as part of the PlasticDaphnia project.