#26 The frontier of microplastics research with Chelsea Rochman

For episode 26, we welcome Chelsea Rochman. Chelsea is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. She studies the sources, fates and ecological implications of anthropogenic pollutants in freshwater and marine ecosystems, with a large focus on microplastics. Her work has been highly impactful in the developing field of microplastics research, where she has conducted empirical and synthetic research that has advanced experimental methodologies and informed both environmental policy and public awareness of the issue. In our interview with Chelsea, we talked about the ubiquity of microplastics in the environment. Microplastics are everywhere! They are not only in aquatic systems, but also in the atmosphere and the potential negative impacts of these particles and the associated chemicals on ecosystems are a growing concern. As such, plastic pollution has been getting much more public attention. Chelsea shared some of her thoughts on the various approaches being considered for a global policy framework to curb the manufacturing of plastics and mitigate the accumulation of the microplastics in the environment and she also talked about some of the public awareness-raising her lab is engaged in via the U of T Trash Team.  Chelsea's website: https://rochmanlab.wordpress.com/