Jason Davison, Ph.D., from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) for his research project, “Microplastics Source Tracking Analysis.” This award brings the total funding for the project to over $1 million, building on an earlier grant that launched his pioneering work on microplastic pollution.
Dr. Davison is joined on the project by co-principal investigators Rebecca Kiriazes, Ph.D. (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Matthew Jacobs, Ph.D. (Computer Science), reflecting the College’s strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.
The research focuses on identifying and analyzing sources of microplastic contamination in waterways across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Water samples collected from urban environments will be processed and analyzed at Catholic University’s AnthroHydro Lab, housed within the College of Engineering, Physics, and Computing.
This new funding supports the acquisition of cutting-edge research tools including a Raman Microscope and a Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Microscope. Additionally, faculty from across the College of Engineering, Physics, and Computing will lend their expertise to this critical environmental initiative.
“This work will fundamentally advance our understanding of microplastic pollution in Washington D.C. and provide critical information for environmental policy makers.” said Dr. Davison.
The project highlights Catholic University’s mission to generate research that benefits both the local community and the broader public. Findings from this study will inform data-driven environmental policy decisions and support sustainable solutions for managing plastic waste in urban ecosystems.