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This story is part of The State of Science, a series featuring science stories from public media journalists across the United States. It features reporting by Kate Grumke from St. Louis Public Radio.
Microplastics and nanoplastics have been found just about everywhere: in our soil, our bodies, and our water. Recent research involving bioengineered algae has had success in capturing and removing microplastics from water.
Environmental reporter Kate Grumke joins Producer Kathleen Davis to talk about the latest approaches to addressing microplastics, and researcher Susie Dai discusses her work using algae to pull them out of wastewater.
Further Reading
- Algae is a ‘little vacuum’ for microplastics. Midwest scientists think it could clean up the problem via St. Louis Public Radio
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Segment Guests
Kate Grumke
Kate Grumke is a senior environmental reporter for St. Louis Public Radio.
Susie Dai
Dr. Susie Dai is a professor of chemical and environmental engineering at the University of Missouri.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producer
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.