KINGSTON, R.I. – July 8, 2025 – Microplastics can be found everywhere. They’re not just in waterways like Narragansett Bay but they can be found in shellfish, drinking water, and the human body. Research conducted at the University of Rhode Island estimates that the top 2 inches of the Narragansett Bay’s floor consists of these tiny plastic particles.

Humans ingest microplastics through various means including inhaling plastic fibers and drinking tap water. Microplastics can also be consumed in less obvious ways, such as through single-use plastic bottles and seafood. The health impacts of excessive amounts of microplastics can lead to health issues, including nervous system damage, reproductive problems, and potentially cancer.

Given the pervasive presence of microplastics in food, water, and air, a University of Rhode Island professor is spearheading a study on the impact of micro and nanoplastics in Rhode Island along with a group of 20-plus academics from universities from across the Ocean State.

Today, the National Science Foundation announced associate professor of chemical, biomolecular, and materials engineering, Daniel Roxbury and his team have been awarded a $7 million grant through the EPSCoR E-RISE Program.

The program aims to enhance Rhode Island’s research capabilities and develop the workforce in areas critical to the state. Within Rhode Island that means looking at all things coastal.

“A large part of our economy relies on the bay and the ocean, and we wanted to pick a topic that critically affects it,” said Roxbury. “We chose to study the socio-ecological impacts of microplastics within coastal ecosystems (SIMCoast) as the theme of our E-RISE project.”

The program is not available to all states; only 28 states and U.S. territories are eligible for NSF EPSCoR funding, typically those that do not receive substantial federal funding. 

To develop the state’s research capacity and workforce, the program requires collaboration. For Roxbury and URI, that means partnering with fellow institutions, Brown University, Rhode Island College, and Roger Williams University.

“The new E-RISE project highlights the diverse and strong expertise present at URI and other academic institutions across Rhode Island in addressing plastic pollution,” says Vinka Oyanedel-Craver, associate dean of research and professor of civil and environmental engineering for URI’s College of Engineering. “The project brings together experts from a wide range of fields, including the fundamental and social sciences and engineering.”

The NSF has set several requirements for the program. This includes working hand-in-hand with Rhode Island stakeholders. While this presents new challenges for Roxbury and his team, he says he is excited to lead this highly interdisciplinary project. The $7 million initial award is for 4 years with the possibility of renewal. One of Roxbury and the team’s initial tasks is to align all stakeholders, including NSF representatives, in a strategic planning meeting.

“We’re going to plan out the milestones, timelines, and goals for each year of the award,” said Roxbury. “We must hold an initial strategic planning meeting at URI within 3 months of the start date.”

Part of the planning involves determining how the funds will be allocated and defining each institution’s responsibilities. He says everyone has their own role to play.

“This was written into the grant proposal. Each institution has their strengths,” says Roxbury.

As an example, URI excels in microplastics sampling, so a team from URI will collect samples from Narragansett Bay. Whereas Brown University, with its expertise in modeling, will help model microplastics transport from “source to sink.”

Additionally, Roger Williams University will aid in characterizing the microplastics, and Rhode Island College will aid in community engagement. Roxbury says they’re hoping to not just research and study microplastics in the Narragansett Bay and other waterways, but also to engage with and learn from community organizations as well as to educate Rhode Islanders about microplastics in the coastal ecosystem. 

“My role, as co-principal investigator, is to help facilitate the translation of research results to community stakeholders who could benefit from these results,” says Oyanedel-Craver. “Additionally, we’ll look at how stakeholder concerns can be integrated into the research process.”

Roxbury says everyone is excited and ready to hit the ground running and that getting the funding was a long time coming. The team and proposal were initially assembled in the Fall of ‘23.