Gain an overview of the nature and extent of plastic pollution and how it permeates our bodies.

Local neuroscientist Carol Armstrong, PhD, will show how humans are exposed to the smallest of plastics (micro- and nanoplastics) and the biological mechanisms for damage within our bodies. She will share how some of the most concerning chemicals that are used in the production of plastics are transported into our bodies, and their associations with diseases. The most recent research evidence will be discussed as scientists search for exactly where in our bodies microplastics can be found and how they impact the health of today’s and future generations.

This one-hour program will include habit changes to consider in order to decrease our ingestion of microplastics.

Registration

Reserve your space using the “Register Online” button above. Ages 15+ are welcome to attend.

About the Speaker

Carol Armstrong is a neuroscientist and neuropsychologist with 35 years of research, healthcare, and teaching with the University of Pennsylvania. Experiencing the impacts of loss of biodiversity, climate change, and chemicals in the environment, she shifted to a volunteer career supporting scientists in their work on marine and watershed protection and restoration. Dr. Armstrong is a PA Master Watershed Steward, spearheaded the Environmental Advisory Committee of Charlestown PA, and trained in riparian buffer restoration and stream water quality monitoring with the Stroud Water Research Center. Her educational programs focus on effects of plastics and chemical contamination on people, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems. Her current talk, Microplastics in Animals: Risk and Realities, focuses on the evidence from recent publications on where microplastics are in our bodies, the mechanisms for how they permeate our cells, and health impacts.