Support our Citizen Science kickstarter (till 11/11/26)

Help Us See the Plastic We Can't See

 

Microplastics are everywhere, but monitoring them remains challenging. We want to change that through long-term environmental monitoring, community participation, and accessible scientific tools.

 

1) Building a long-term monitoring network

With community partners, we aim to monitor the Schuylkill River weekly, sampling upstream and downstream of the dam to track how microplastic pollution changes with rainfall, seasons, and water flow.

 

2) We also hope to expand monitoring to nearby creeks, wetlands, stormwater pathways, soils, sediments, and areas surrounding synthetic turf at FDR Park.

 

3) Investigating the products we use

From bottled water and beverages to selected food products, we want to investigate where microplastics may be hiding. And you'll help choose which products and questions we explore.

 

You choose the samples. Our scientists find a way to investigate it. Making monitoring accessible to everyone! 

 

We’re advancing tools that can help detect microplastics beyond specialized laboratories, making research more accessible to educators, community groups, and researchers.

 

We don't just want to tell communities that microplastics are everywhere. We want to give them the tools to investigate for themselves.

 

Join our Kickstarter!