Micro- and nanoplastics are now everywhere: in stormwater, sediments, biosolids, and the air we breathe. But to understand their real risks, scientists face a fundamental problem - how do you accurately measure particles that are often too small to see?
In this episode, the podcast host, Dr. John Ahn, talks with Dr. Balaji Rao, assistant professor of civil, environmental, and construction engineering at Texas Tech University, whose work focuses on contaminant fate and transport. From mercury in sensitive Tennessee watersheds to stormwater from urban industrial sites, Dr. Rao’s research traces where pollutants originate, how they move, and where they ultimately end up - and now, how microplastics and nanoplastics are showing up across these pathways.
The discussion also centers on why the detection and quantification of micro- and nanoplastics in real environmental matrices represent a significant scientific challenge, what current analytical methods can determine and what their limitations are. It is also discussed what happens when plastic particles enter stormwater systems, settle into sediments, and potentially move through biological food webs.
Topics discussed:
• How Dr. Rao’s journey from petrochemical engineering to environmental science led to microplastics research.
• Why complex environmental samples of stormwater, sediments, and biosolids complicates the detection and analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics.
• What “contaminant fate and transport” means for plastics released into the environment.
• Emerging analytical techniques to identify and characterize microplastics in mixed samples.
• Why measurement uncertainty matters for regulators, public health, and global risk assessments.
• How science, engineering, and society can better track, mitigate, and prevent plastic pollution.
This conversation is part of an ongoing series exploring the science, risks, and future implications of micro- and nanoplastics in both the environment and human health.
Learn more about Dr. Balaji Rao and his research: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/ceweb/faculty/Balaji_Rao/index.php
"Nanoplastics. A Systematic Risk Analysis for Human Health, Ecosystems, and the Environment"
https://allatra.org/global-research-center/publications/agrc.report.mnp.2026.04001
The podcast is hosted on the ALLATRA Global Research Center platform.
This material is for informational and discussion purposes only. The statements, assessments, interpretations, conclusions, and hypotheses contained herein represent personal views of their authors as of the date of publication and do not constitute an official stance of the ALLATRA international organization or any other public association, organization, project, partner, or affiliated entity or person, unless expressly stated otherwise.
Publication of this material provides an opportunity for open discussion and does not in itself imply institutional endorsement, confirmation, or scientific verification of the views expressed. The material does not constitute an official statement, expert opinion, or professional advice.
Publication of this material provides an opportunity for open discussion and does not in itself imply institutional endorsement, confirmation, or scientific verification of the views expressed. The material does not constitute an official statement, expert opinion, or professional advice.