According to UNESCO, plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, with 8-10 million metric tons of plastic making its way into our oceans each year.
According to UNESCO, plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, with 8-10 million metric tons of plastic making its way into our oceans each year. USC Viterbi researchers have discovered a mineral commonly found in seashells could be the key to a safer plastic alternative — one that could someday put an end to the upsetting imagery of marine life tangled in soda can packaging rings and plastic bags.
The research is led by Eun Ji Chung, the Dr. Karl Jacob Jr. and Karl Jacob III Early-Career Chair at USC Viterbi School of Engineering and a leading expert in engineered nanoparticles for clinical applications. Developing a substitute for plastic may seem like an unexpected research pivot for her. However, Chung has a background in biomaterials, and her lab recently developed a new biocompatible plastic alternative by adding calcium carbonate from seashells into poly (1,8-octanediol-co-citrate) (POC), an FDA-approved biodegradable material used in orthopedic fixation devices. The Chung Lab research was published in MRS Communications.
Read More: University of Southern California
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