About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
2025 Graduate Student Poster Contest
|
| Presentation Title |
SPG-27: Visualization of Doped Microplastics in Soil Using Neutron and X-ray Radiography |
| Author(s) |
Thai Nguyen, Subhash Risbud, Wesley Frey |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Thai Nguyen |
| Abstract Scope |
Microplastic pollution has become a critical environmental concern, especially in agricultural settings where plastic particles can infiltrate soil and disrupt ecosystems. This study introduces a novel approach using gadolinium oxide (Gd₂O₃)-doped plastics and neutron radiography to visualize microplastic distribution in soil. Gd₂O₃’s high neutron absorption enables clear contrast, even at low concentrations. Microplastics were created from epoxy-Gd₂O₃ composites and mixed into potting soil at contamination-relevant levels. Neutron imaging successfully differentiated between clean and polluted soils, with increasing brightness correlating to higher Gd₂O₃ content. Compared to X-ray imaging of tungsten-doped plastics, neutron radiography provided superior contrast and sensitivity in complex soil matrices. Early tomography images provide a 3-D visualization of the distribution of these doped plastics. This method offers a promising tool for tracking microplastic pollution in agricultural environments. |