Inkyu Han, PhD, one of PRCCEH’s newest members and an environmental health scientist with the Temple University College of Public Health was recently featured for his work on microplastics in the College of Public Health news.
“Now his new CAMP study, funded for two years by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, will examine airborne plastics in Philadelphia. People living in densely populated, high-traffic urban areas are at risk for significant exposure to airborne MANs, Han knows. Many low-income Philadelphians may have no air conditioning, or limited budgets to keep it running, so may spend more time with windows open in warmer months, increasing exposure to outdoor air MANs. The Philadelphia study will pinpoint what’s in the air around the city using intake equipment that captures and filters plastic particles. Advanced spectroscopy techniques will enable the research team to classify plastic particles by type and size and measure the density of their presence in different locations.”