19552 GW Mag 26_Final_singles - Flipbook - Page 19
settings. Her sustainable, or “green,” chemistry work
involves designing materials and strategies to mitigate
pollution. To Pincus, the two sides operate hand-in-hand.
“If you don’t do observations, then you can’t create the
informed designs that tailor the right solutions to specific
environments,” she explained.
Pincus began her NSF-funded experiment as a
postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University. Her first
step was choosing field sites for testing how microplastics
break down under different conditions—land versus water,
for example, and saltwater versus freshwater. She selected
the man-made freshwater Carnegie Lake at Princeton, and
two saltwater locations within Barnegat Bay—Cattus Island
County Park and Sedge Island.
Next, she rounded up household materials—polyethylene
drop cloths and ropes made of nylon, polyester and
polypropylene. “I purposefully wanted to study these
plastics in commercial form because that is what’s
predominantly in the environment,” she explains.
“If you understand chemistry and
chemical reactions, it’s a great lens
through which to view the whole
world. It’s amazing how interactions
on an atomic level translate into real
world issues.”
— LAUREN PINCUS
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY
Cutting the plastics into measured sheets, she secured
them to milk crates and anchored them in place—keeping
the materials stationary in the water and sunlight without
drifting away and adding to environmental pollution.
For two years, the samples endured heat waves and cold
snaps. Floods submerged them under water and droughts
left them baking in the sun. Pincus tracked them regularly,
first monthly then every six months. She waded into lakes
and hitched rides on New Jersey Fish and Wildlife boats to
retrieve small sections. “When I envisioned the project, I
was picturing great Jersey Shore weather,” she said. “But in
reality, it was a bit more challenging.”
By the time she packed up her plastics and brought them
to GW in 2024, Pincus had amassed nearly 150 weatherworn
pieces—which she literally handed to PhD student Beukema.
“I gave Brian bags of these samples and said, ‘Good luck,’”
she laughed.
During her GW lab analysis, Pincus and her team use
infrared light and X-rays to examine how the plastics’ surface
chemistry has changed. They also analyze the samples using
a particle accelerator at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on
Long Island. The team discovered that the altered chemical
structures made them more likely to bind with toxic metals—
increasing their environmental impacts. “The weathered
plastics have the potential to be dangerous vectors for heavy
metal transport,” noted master’s student Finigan, who is part
of the CCAS Environmental and Green Chemistry Program.
Meanwhile, the research confirmed that environmental
conditions play a decisive role in how quickly plastics degrade.
Freshwater systems appear to slow the process, while
saltwater and terrestrial environments accelerate it—an
insight that could help guide cleanup efforts. Pincus was
surprised at the rapid degrading rate, recording surface
chemistry shifts after only a month. “We thought it would take
several months to see really substantial changes,” she said.
For her students, Pincus’ lab offers a rare opportunity to
help shape emerging research. “This is still a relatively new
field, and I’m excited to be in the position to contribute to
the conversation in a meaningful way,” Beukema said.
“Professor Pincus is a great mentor, and seeing her drive
and passion for this research is inspiring.”
As she moves forward—publishing her findings and
further exploring metal-plastic interactions—Pincus hopes
to expand her fieldwork and let her students gain their own
firsthand experience in a living laboratory. Indeed, Pincus
emphasized that their insights are central to her work. “From
our shared, pooled knowledge, we can really understand
what is truly going on out there,” she said.
Pincus and chemistry PhD student Brian Beukema analyze
their plastic samples using a particle accelerator at the
Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island.
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