Dr. Karl R. Haapala is a Professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University, where he directs the Industrial Sustainability Laboratory, the OSU Energy Efficiency Center, and the OSU Industrial Training Assessment Center.

Bay Area friends!! Join us! We're super excited to be part of the Materevolve Textile x Ocean Connector Sail! This is an experience including hands-on demonstrations, where participants can feel materials, learn how microfiber samples are collected, and more! Register here! luma.com/txosail

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! forms.gle/iqKEpRTQiqLA...

THREE DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER!!! We have had a diverse range of registrants so far, including representatives from: - City of Roses - Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment - Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw Indians -OR Sea Grant - Washington County Solid Waste & MORE!

📉 Global fertility rates have dropped over 50% in the past 50 years. What’s driving this decline? Research from Dr. Shanna Swan shows it’s closely linked to the chemicals in plastic. 🚨 ⚠️ #BreakFreeFromPlastic #ThePlasticDetox #UnplasticYourLife

TEENY BITS of the potential for #AI use in #microplastics #science from Drs. Leah Thornton Hampton (SCCWRP), Scott Coffin (OEHHA), and Huazheng Wang (OSU)! - Continue the conversation! Register for our 4/10 workshop forms.gle/RSdeSZBH4zLM... -Full recording on our website www.pnwmicroplastics.org

Still time to register for our working meeting to address the plastic crisis!!!

It seems like microplastics are everywhere these days — but their impacts on human health remain unclear. This week on Possibly we talked to professor @smbrander.bsky.social to understand why that is and how scientists are trying to get a clearer picture.

See you all tomorrow!!!

IN THE PRESS: @smbrander.bsky.social is quoted a new article by Kristen Wise in the Sierra! #AgriculturalPlastics are a significant aspect of #plasticpollution. The article highlights contaminated mulches and the connection between soil and climate! www.sierraclub.org/sierra/mulch...

JOIN US FOR AN IN-PERSON WORKING MEETING 4/10! We'll have a productive conversation about all things plastics, ranging from plastic alternatives to AI-databases! forms.gle/hykPs4vdEwnc... #plastic #sustainablealternatives #ai #workingmeeting #microplastics @smbrander.bsky.social

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT! Dr. Clarissa Raguso published her first first-author publication looking at the effects of weathered & pristine micro/nano tire particles in invertebrate (mysid shrimp) and silverside fish! Work completed in @smbrander.bsky.social 's lab @oregonstate.edu!

@smbrander.bsky.social et al. have assembled quite the team! Be sure to shoot us a follow for exciting news/opportunities coming soon!

Alison Bain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at OSU. She obtained her BSc from Carleton University in chemistry with a concentration in nanotechnology, her MSc in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia, followed by her PhD in Chemistry from McGill University.

WEBINAR ALERT! Join us February 25th from 2pm-3:30pm PST to learn about Using AI to inform microplastics science! Hear from our esteemed experts Leah Thornton Hampton, Scott Coffin, and Huazheng Wang! DM us for the Zoom link! #microplastics #ToMEx #artificialintelligence #ai #data #datamining

Meet the team! We'll be continuing to highlight the people who make up our consortium! Be sure to read the thread below to hear more about @smbrander.bsky.social ! branderlab.net

If you're loving Bluesky updates, be sure to connect with us on our other platforms!

Awesome to share some of our work as a part of the Portland State University School of the Environment Seminar! Themed Environmental Plastics - What, where, and why should we care - This series is right up our alley! #plastics #microplastics #humanhealth #marineenvironment #sustainability

After last week's Guardian article dropping the "bombshell" casting doubt on microplastics research, we are grateful that @shannonosaka.bsky.social responded in the Washington Post! Check out the article below featuring wise words from our consortium members! www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

Our Instagram account has been temporarily suspended - Please look here and on our LinkedIn for the most up-to-date plastics/consortium news!

Happening today!!!

WEBINAR ALERT! Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 21st at 2pm PDT to hear from members of OSU's Sustainable Food Packaging & Processing Lab about sustainable packaging! DM us for the Zoom link!

IN THE PRESS! Ever wonder which fast food favorites contain plastics/plastic chemicals? Check out this Newsweek article featuring quotes from scientists, including our own Dr. Susanne Brander, @smbrander.bsky.social!

Proud to have sponsored the Textiles & Toxicity networking event! We connected scientists with industry to discuss textile/microfiber pollution & solutions! #sustainability #textiles #microplastics #microfibers #plastics

Please sign this letter in support of Oregon Sea Grant 🌊 💪 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Thank you! I, too, am shocked that so many are so quiet as if they think it will protect them from the worst of this. I don't think it will.

Today, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs. It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎

#Plastics in the build environment are yet another hidden use of #ToxicChemicals and exposure route for people and the environment. habitablefuture.org/resources/co... We wrote about this in a report with Habitable, Teresa McGrath, Rebecca Stamm, Veena Singla. Now in French and Spanish!

Things are rough right now, but at least Debbie Downer and Robert Deniro had a hilarious exchange about #microplastics on SNL’s 50th anniversary special. @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social youtube.com/clip/UgkxExl...

Disappointed & shocked to hear the Woods Hole Partnership Education Program (PEP) has been discontinued by the 6 Woods Hole research institutions. This is one of the longest running REU type programs offering research experiences for underrepresented students. Simply unbelievable.

Stand Up for Science rallies will be held in DC and state capitals on March 7th. Share with friends. Sign-up here to get email updates with details: www.eventbrite.com/e/stand-up-f...

Hiya plastics people 👋! The Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty is here! Give us a follow for all things #PlasticsPollution and #PlasticsTreaty @scientistscoa.bsky.social Photo by Ben Von Wong

Great idea! 💡

Join us for a PNWC webinar Feb 19, 9 am PT. We'll hear from Siobhan Anderson, co-founder of The Tyre Collective! She'll discuss recent results demonstrating collection of highly concentrated tire wear from vehicles and the future of this novel technology. thetyrecollective.com (DM for link)

Am visiting a rural town in Chile today, and their restaurants have no single use plastic. It’s possible. @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social

🚨 BREAKING: OMB has just issued a memo *rescinding* the previous memo freezing all federal financial assistance programs. Full text, per government source:

There is a link between unsustainable food production & consumption and the adverse impacts of plastics. Many of the #alternativeproteins are #ultraprocessedfoods "You are what you eat" globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

A study led by Dr. Sara Hutton from our group, published recently in Frontiers in Toxicology , was highlighted in Environmental Health News today! @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social www.ehn.org/differing-ef...

Hey, ecotoxicologists! Check out this new starter pack for us to unite to chat about #ecotoxicology. Please message me to add you to this list. go.bsky.app/Sj5Dc3F

Never thought studying wastewater impacts on the environment would lead to being quoted in Bloomberg Law, but these are strange times. A pro-life group claims the FDA shouldn't allow mifepristone to be used because it contaminates waterways. 🤔 news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-a...

Congrats to Clarissa Raguso on defending your PhD today! We were so glad to have been able to host you for the year at Oregon State! @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social

If you're a researcher impacted by the NIH/CDC/FDA travel and communication pause and are open to chatting about your experience, big or small, please reach out to me at [email protected] or DM for Signal

The Scientists Coalition has released a new declaration in advance of #INC5 supporting a strong #GlobalPlasticsTreaty. There is still time to sign! ikhapp.org/wp-content/u... @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social #scientistscoalitionforaneffectiveplasticstreaty

New paper out today! We found that #nanoplastics produced from three different plastic types (tire, polyester, bio-based cups) interfere with the expression of genes related to muscle function in fish, and also disrupt behavior. @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social www.frontiersin.org/journals/tox...

Chemicals used in plastics can cause infertility, cancer and even obesity. But a campaign by the plastics industry is undermining science. A number of scientists studying plastics, including me, were interviewed here. @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social @oregonstate.bsky.social t.co/DIhLKcVEPv

Last night after we learned negotiations would be ongoing, Mexico delivered a powerful intervention listing the nearly 100 countries supporting a strong treaty. It was disappointing that consensus could not be achieved, but the momentum is there! Onward 💪🏻 #INC5 @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social

Has been a week since we left the plastics treaty negotiations, with consensus still out of reach. Regardless, it is an incredible honor to work with this amazing group of scientists to continue pushing for change. Onward to INC6! #scientistscoalition #INC5 @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social

Was interviewed on #microplastics impacts today. A lot of what I mention has been said before, but it bears repeating until we have a strong plastics treaty. Thank you @npr.org for giving scientists a voice. www.npr.org/2024/12/09/n... @pnwmicroplastics.bsky.social @oregonstate.bsky.social

Chronic studies w/ #tires are limited for recycled #rubber, used for outdoor surfaces. This is the first comparison of chronic & generational toxicity across rubber types in #Daphnia. #Reproduction was the most sensitive endpoint, #microplastic rubber particles were more toxic than #nanoplastic.

🎉DON'T FORGET!🎉 Mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 18th at 12pm to join us as for an update on treaty negotiations and the outcome of INC5, which Susanne Brander will be attending as part of the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Treaty from Nov 24 – Dec 1.