Shoreham-Wading River High School’s Summer SPARK participants Ariel Greenberg, Julianna O’Neill and Alex Tishchenko had a busy summer of learning. As a rising junior entering her third year of Science Research, Julianna led the program, training 18 students on techniques using infrared microscopy to analyze microplastics extracted from sediments collected at various locations on Long Island. Chemical composition of the samples was determined by Infrared Spectroscopy and the collective data analyzed to look for trends among the sample locations. A publication on the findings as well as the use of IR techniques for educational purposes within a high school research program is planned for later this year.

Date Added: 9/5/2023