Summary
Dr Stephanie Wright is a Lecturer at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health. She has over 9 years’ research experience in the field of microplastics, specifically in exposure and biological impacts, which began with a PhD at the University of Exeter. She then joined the Environmental Research Group (ERG), King’s College London, on an early career research fellowship in microplastics and human health, with an emphasis on airborne plastic pollution.
She now holds a UKRI Rutherford Fellowship and leads the Microplastics team, whose interdisciplinary research addresses microplastic detection, characterisation and quantification in the atmospheric environment; optimisation of techniques for the detection of microplastics in biological matrices; and toxicological assessment of microplastics using in vitro models of the human airway. She has been on national tv and radio as a guest expert; participated in a European Commission microplastics working group; and contributed towards policy change.
Key Research Interests:
Methods of microplastic detection, characterisation and quantification using vibrational- and mass spectrometry-based techniques coupled to chemometrics
Sources, transport, and fate of airborne microplastics
Exposure to microplastics in ambient and indoor air
Microplastic toxicology using in vitro models
Particle, fibre and chemical toxicology
Nanoplastics – detection, exposure, and toxicology
Key Research Projects:
‘Atmospheric microplastics, their accumulation in vivo and potential toxicity’ MRC 2018-2021
‘Understanding UK airborne microplastic pollution: sources, pathways and fate’ NERC 2020-2023
Teaching and Supervision:
'Microplastics: a new threat to public health?' in Exposure Assessment MSc (Imperial College London)
MPH module coordinator for ‘Essentials of Environmental Public Health Science’ (King’s College London)
Project supervisor for Forensic Science and Analytical Toxicology MSc students (King’s College London)
Postgraduate Supervision:
Levermore, J The potential for microplastics to impact human health
2016-date
Publications
Journals
O'Brien S, Rauert C, Ribeiro F, et al., 2023, There's something in the air: A review of sources, prevalence and behaviour of microplastics in the atmosphere., Sci Total Environ, Vol:874
Napper IE, Parker-Jurd FNF, Wright SL, et al., 2023, Examining the release of synthetic microfibres to the environment via two major pathways: Atmospheric deposition and treated wastewater effluent., Sci Total Environ, Vol:857
Tiernan H, Friedman S, Clube RKM, et al., 2022, Implementation of a structured decision-making framework to evaluate and advance understanding of airborne microplastics, Environmental Science and Policy, Vol:135, ISSN:1462-9011, Pages:169-181
Wright S, Borm PJA, 2022, Applying Existing Particle Paradigms to Inhaled Microplastic Particles, Frontiers in Public Health, Vol:10