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Environmental Health and Toxicology

Microplastics in the Environment

Environmental Health and Toxicology

This group studies how environmental pollutants travel through the environment and how humans and ecosystems are exposed to toxic materials in their environment.  People may be exposed to environmental contamination in the air we breathe, the water we use, and the soil in which we work and grow our food. Exposure to contamination is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Our interdisciplinary group integrates environmental chemistry, ecology, and public health to understand our exposure to toxic materials at all levels of interaction, including the social factors that lead to disparities in our environments and the pathways in the environment that lead to our exposure.

Our Programs and Faculty

Faculty and Staff

  • Laura Brentner (group coordinator)
  • Marlene Brito-Millán
  • Gordon Getzinger
  • Stephen Mitten
  • Gregory Palmer

Facilities

At SES, students will have access to a multitude of facilities and resources. Facilities specific to this sustainability and toxicology include:

  • Analytical Chemistry Lab
  • Culture Lab
  • GIS Lab
  • Greenhouse
  • Research Labs
  • STEP Labs

Learn more about the SES Facilities.

Community Impact

student in lab pours cooking oil into large drum
Research

ºÚÁÏÃÅgraduate student Jenna Molaro, focuses on microplastics and why microplastics are such a big issue and how her time at SES has benefitted her research.

Nora Hartnett
Student Research

Studying Smoke and Air Pollution in the Chicago Area

ºÚÁÏÃÅgraduate student Nora Hartnett is investigating how fires across North America impact air pollution levels in the Chicago area. Her findings could inform new strategies for improving air quality and human health.

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George McGraw works with student
Alumni Story

Opening the floodgates

More than a million Americans don’t have access to clean running water. George McGraw (BA ’09) has a plan to change that.

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Our Focus Areas