The Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory is pleased to announce that Dr. Min Yang has been awarded funding through the Transforming Climate Action (TCA) Seed Fund Program, supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF).
The funded project, titled “Impact of tire-derived microplastics and additives on marine phytoplankton photosynthesis and carbon sequestration,” will be conducted at Memorial University of Newfoundland under the supervision of Dr. Baiyu (Helen) Zhang.
This one-year research project will investigate how emerging microplastic contaminants influence marine phytoplankton function and ocean carbon cycling. The research aims to improve understanding of how tire-derived microplastics and associated chemical additives affect photosynthetic processes and carbon sequestration in marine ecosystems.
This work builds on Dr. Yang’s pioneering research on microplastics and oil interactions in marine environments. Her studies have reported, for the first time, the formation of microplastics and dispersed oil agglomerates (MODAs), demonstrating their impact on reducing dispersant efficiency during oil spill response. Her research provides critical insights for improving marine pollution mitigation strategies and advancing climate-relevant ocean science.
NRPOP Lab congratulates Dr. Yang on this achievement and looks forward to the important contributions her research will make to environmental engineering, marine pollution control, and global climate action.
About Dr. Min Yang
Dr. Min Yang is a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University. She completed her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Baiyu (Helen) Zhang.
Her research focuses on the transport and fate of microplastics and their interactions with co-existing pollutants such as oil in marine environments. She has made significant contributions to understanding microplastic–oil interactions, including the discovery of microplastic–oil–dispersant agglomerates (MODAs) and their environmental implications.
Dr. Yang has authored numerous high-impact publications in leading journals such as Environmental Science & Technology, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Water Research. Her work has been widely recognized for its innovation and relevance to marine oil spill response and environmental protection.
She has also actively presented her research at major international conferences, including AEESP, CSCE, the International Oil Spill Science Conference, and the PEOPLE International Conference.
Profiles:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yang-min
- Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=XhJxiIoAAAAJ&hl=en
