Occupational and Environmental Health Friday Seminar
The Department of Environmental Health and the Harvard Chan Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health invite you to the next Occupational and Environmental Health Seminar on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 1:10-1:50.
Title: From Plastic Degradation to Human Exposure: Microplastic Generation, Retention, and Release
Presenter: Maryam Salehi, PhD, PE, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Missouri
Location:
- In-person: 502 Kresge, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health
- Online: via Zoom
Register: Click here to register to attend via Zoom.
Abstract: Microplastics (MPs) are emerging environmental contaminants that raise growing concerns about human exposure through inhalation and ingestion. Understanding their generation, environmental occurrence, and exposure pathways requires reliable analytical methodologies and mechanistic insights into the processes governing particle release and accumulation. Research on the mechanical degradation of plastics will demonstrate how intrinsic polymer properties, environmental weathering, and abrasive forces influence MP generation and particle size distributions, with implications for particle release during industrial processes and occupational activities. Beyond their initial generation, MPs interact with environmental surfaces, which can influence their accumulation, retention, and subsequent release. Research investigating the fate of MPs within drinking water distribution and building plumbing systems will also be presented, with particular emphasis on interactions between MPs, pipe surfaces, and biofilms that govern particle retention and release into tap water. Together, these studies provide mechanistic insights into the processes controlling MP generation, accumulation, and release, contributing to a better understanding of potential human exposure pathways and informing future research in environmental and occupational health.
Speaker Information
Maryam Salehi
Organizers
ⓘ Harvard Chan School hosts a diverse array of speakers, invited to share both scholarly research and personal perspectives. They do not speak for the School, and hosting them does not imply endorsement of their views, organizations, or employers.