A5088647066- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- Antimicrobial agents and applications
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
Hawaii Pacific University
2019-2024
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2018-2019
Polymeric differences of plastic debris were assessed across four compartments the Main Hawaiian Islands (sea surface, windward beaches, leeward and seafloor) to better describe sources fate. Plastic pieces (n = 4671) collected from 11 three sea surface tows, seafloor dives. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy identified polymers 3551 pieces. Significant (p < 0.05) in concentration, types, polymer composition, weathering found among compartments. Windward beaches had 1-2 orders magnitude...
Pelagic Pacific sea turtles eat relatively large quantities of plastic (median 5 g in gut). Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, we identified the polymers ingested by 37 olive ridley, 9 green, and 4 loggerhead caught as bycatch Hawaii- American Samoa-based longline fisheries. Unidentifiable samples were analyzed using high-temperature size exclusion chromatography with multiple detectors and/or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Regardless species differences dive depths foraging...
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), a routine thermoanalytical method in industry material science, is gaining utility plastic pollution research to improve polymer identification. We optimized DSC method, experimentally testing pan types, temperature ramp rates, number of melts, and minimum sample masses. Using the we created an in-house thermogram library from 201 diverse reference standards. Peak melting temperatures cutoffs were determined for differentiating variants PE nylon...