Zhangling Chen
- Email: eezc@leeds.ac.uk
- Supervisors: Professor Paul Kay, Dr Laura Carter, Professor Steven Banwart
Profile
I am a PhD student jointly supervised by the School of Earth and Environment and the School of Geography. Before coming to the UK, I obtained my master’s degree in Hong Kong and bachelor’s degree in mainland China. During my master's study, I worked on a project “The conflicts between personal hygiene and environmental impact, using wet wipes as an example”. In the process, I was surprised to discover that wet wipes, an almost ubiquitous household item, could be a potential source of microplastics (MPs). This sparked my curiosity to continue exploring and ultimately decided to choose microplastics as the research topic for my PhD.
My research aims to explore I) The uptake and accumulation of microplastics by terrestrial higher plants. II) The impact of microplastics on soil properties and plant performance. III) Transport mechanisms of microplastics in soil-plant systems.
Research interests
- Microplastics in soil-plant systems
- Environmental toxicology & Food safety
Qualifications
- MSc Environmental and Public Health Management
- BSc Public Health Management