Research team gets $25K EPA grant to study how to mitigate microplastics

August 10, 2023

Research team gets $25K EPA grant to study how to mitigate microplastics

Habibollah Fakhraei, assistant professor in the School of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, is receiving a $25,000 grant to lead a project aimed at mitigating microplastics in the water supply, thanks to the U.S. EPA’s People, Prosperity and Planet program.

Fakhraei’s student team will study ways of breaking down micro and nano-scale plastics and observing the degradation rates under varying environmental conditions in surface water, ground water and seawater. The research is aimed at finding ways to modify water treatment systems.

P3 is a competitive grants program offering university and college students the opportunity to take a leading role in scientific and engineering research. In Phase I, grant winners receive up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof of concept and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.