PerkinElmer’s  Spectrum Two FT-IR spectrometer solution is onboard a research trip led by eXXpedition, a not-for-profit organization running all-women sailing voyages investigating ocean plastic pollution causes and solutions. The latest mission, launched October 2019 from Plymouth, England, runs through Spring 2021 and features over 30 stops­– from the Azores, Aruba, and the Galapagos, to Fiji, Perth and Reykjavik. On each new leg, fresh crew volunteers from all walks of life will join.

Through a Scientific Partner collaboration, the eXXpedition Round the World 2019-2021 scientist team (including members from the UK’s Plymouth University) is leveraging PerkinElmer’s portable Spectrum Two to identify and document the chemical classification of plastics found during their travels. PerkinElmer is also providing instrument and Spectrum 10 software training and support throughout.

“Plastic ocean pollution is one of the most visible environmental challenges we face. The accompanying and less noticeable issue is when items like plastic bottles or nets break down into microplastics to then be ingested by sea creatures and eventually us at the dinner table,” said NH Kim VP/GM of Applied Markets, PerkinElmer. “Studying microplastics to accelerate scientific understanding and drive answers is paramount. We’re proud to be part of the eXXpedition voyage and believe their research will generate interesting findings to help drive future environmental responses.”

Emily Penn, ocean advocate, skipper, and co-founder of eXXpedition added, “We’re excited to have PerkinElmer’s innovative technology onboard. It allows us to do real time analysis to identify polymer types and will help us explore potential solutions as research continues on dry land.” Contributing to further learnings and conversations around the world on ocean pollution, PerkinElmer also recently hosted its first annual Microplastics Symposium in Washington D.C., bringing together scientists and experts from Greenpeace, Boston University, and NOAA Fisheries.

Find more information on PerkinElmer’s microplastics solutions here and learn about eXXpedition’s science program at this link.

About PerkinElmer
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