We founded Parverio because we were concerned about the potential effects of microplastic exposure on humans. After talking and engaging with people from many different backgrounds and experiences, we came to a few conclusions:
There is not enough data and research on the full effects and spread of microplastics.
There is limited knowledge/concern about microplastics among the general public.
Realizing these concerns and excited about our novel microplastic detection techniques, we are conducting a crowdfunding campaign to begin addressing both of these issues: The Western New York Microplastic Atlas!
The atlas itself will consist of two parts:
An open dataset of microplastic spread in Western New York drinking water to help build knowledge of microplastics
A promotional print detailing the spread of microplastics throughout the region
The result of the project will be uniquely tailored towards raising both new knowledge/data about microplastics, and spreading awareness about this emerging pollutant.
Lower level backers will receive promotional rewards, such as prints of the atlas, tailored toward these goals. Higher level backers will participate in building the datasets by providing custom water samples to be tested for microplastics. These tests will come with an enumerative and comparative analysis to show exactly how much microplastic was in your sample, along with how it compares to drinking water across the region.
We are very excited about this project and the chance to build and spread awareness about microplastics in our home. Let us know your thoughts about microplastics and future projects here or on the kickstarter page!