UVic PhD candidate working to bring first ever portable microplastics test kit to market

Tested water samples show varying amounts of microplastics, with red being a lower concentration and lighter shades indicating more microplastics are present. (CTV News)

Abbas Motalebizadeh is a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria’s Mechanical Engineering Department and on Wednesday he was at the Victoria International Marina to test the Inner Harbour for microplastics.

“I believe it's in everything," said Motalebizadeh.

His test showed microplastics are present in the harbour, in abundance.

"It worries me,” said Craig Norris, the CEO of the Victoria International Marina.

Norris says the problem of microplastics is larger than people realize.

"The world is producing and using plastics, the world is throwing away plastics and it is getting in the world's food supply,” said Norris.

There is already a way to test for microplastics, but it involves an expensive and time consuming process of sending samples to a lab.

Motalebizadeh and his colleagues at the University of Victoria’s Micro and Nano Technology Lab are in the process of creating and bringing to market what they say is the first ever portable testing device for microplastics.

"We have tried to make it as simple as possible to be able to be used by every individual if they are interested in the water quality that they consume every day,” said the PhD candidate.

Motalebizadeh's test device mixes water samples with gold nanoparticles. The redder the colour of the results, the fewer microplastics are in that water.

Motalebizadeh tested water in a water bottle purchased from a store.

"There would be a little amount of microplastics here, but it's not too bad,” said Motalebizadeh.

He then tested drinking water straight from the tap.

"Yup, more microplastics than bottled water,” said Motalebizadeh.

Dr. Katherine Elvira is a chemistry professor at the University of Victoria. She says we know microplastics have found their way into our organs, although little is known at this time about what that means for our health.

"That is where the next step in the research is going,” said Elvira.

Her team is now beginning the research to find the answers to that question.

"We are super interested in figuring out how that effects our cells and our cell membranes and whether they become more leaky or not because of the presence of nanoplastics in the human body,” said Elvira.

Motalebizadeh and his colleagues are hoping to make the microplastic test kits available to consumers by next spring.

“They will be affordable and super easy to use,” said Motalebizadeh.