Current Award Winners

Dr James Bridson is awarded the Brian Halton Award for his manuscript, "Impact of accelerated weathering on the leaching kinetics of stabiliser additives from microplastics", published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. Bridson’s project, conducted during his PhD studies at the University of Canterbury, is the first to investigate the effect of weathering on stabiliser additive leaching from microplastics. The results presented in this article reveal a high specificity to the polymer-additive formulation and highlight the complex interplay between polymer composition, additive type, and environmental conditions. These findings challenge the established assumption that weathering uniformly increases additive leaching through the formation of surface cracks. The future impact of this research lies in its contribution to a deeper understanding of microplastic pollution dynamics, the effects of environmental conditions, and the relevance of specific chemical interactions. These insights have significant implications for microplastic risk assessment and mitigation strategies, emphasising the complexity of plastic additive release processes. This improved understanding can inform the development of policies and practices aimed at reducing the environmental and health risks associated with plastic additives.