Sam Athey
She/Her
I am bi and I am an earth science PhD student.//
I am bisexual and a PhD student in Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto. Currently I’m studying the sources and solutions to microfiber/microplastic pollution (and associated chemical contaminants). Specifically, I’m interested in how microplastics and chemicals are released from our clothes to the environment when we do laundry and what we can do to stop it! My work involves testing microfiber capture technologies, measuring contaminants and microplastics at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and determining the factors that influence chemical/microfiber release during laundering. Outside the lab, I have an active scicomm Twitter page (@sustainablesam_) and participate in community outreach events with the UofT Trash Team (@UofTTrashTeam) focused on improving understanding of the microplastic problem.