SERDP FY 2025 New Start Projects

 Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Area

The objective of this Statement of Need (SON) was to seek fundamental or applied research to further understand the fate, transport, and treatment of microplastics in the environment impacted with per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or other chemicals of concern (COCs). Specifically, the goal was to address the following research needs:

• Develop improved analytical methods for detecting and quantifying microplastics in environmental samples, as well as to detect and quantify COCs sorbed to microplastics in environmental samples. 
• Improve the fundamental understanding of fate and transport processes of microplastics in surface water, stormwater, soil, sediment, and groundwater under varying natural and engineered conditions.
• Determine the impact of sorbed COCs on both the fate and transport of microplastics and the COCs with emphasis on mechanistic processes.
• Improve understanding of the degradation process of microplastics in the environment, including the evaluation of environmental factors and physical and chemical composition characteristics that may affect degradation rates.
• Develop remedial strategies for microplastics with sorbed COCs, such as PFAS, including a systematic assessment of the necessity for treatment train approaches.

The selection of projects that will be funded to address this SON will be complete in Fall 2024. 

Research should lead to a better understanding of potential impacts of microplastics with sorbed COCs and how these systems can best be treated, leading to improved site management that is protective of human and ecological health.