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Gudrun Thorkelsdottir wins Unilever Research Prize for work on microplastics from car tyres
In November 2023, Wageningen University & Research student Gudrun Thorkelsdottir was honoured with the Unilever Research Prize, following a nomination by supervisors Mahrooz Rezaei and Michiel van der Molen. Thorkelsdottir clinched the award alongside 12 other successful master's students from Dutch universities. What made this master's thesis so exceptional?
Thorkelsdottir has recently graduated in Climate Studies. For their master's thesis at the Meteorology and Air Quality group, they investigated the atmospheric dispersion and deposition of microplastics originating from car tyres. Such particles are prevalent, and data on their concentrations were available from Poland, London, Hamburg, and the Pyrenees. Thorkelsdottir adapted the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate the dispersion of microplastics and showed that a substantial portion of these particles is transported over longer distances, up to thousands of kilometers. The model aligned well with real-world observations.
"Airborne microplastics is a new research line I took up at Wageningen University”, explains Rezaei, who works at both the Meteorology and Air Quality and Soil Physics and Land Management chair groups. “Gudrun was one of our first MSc students working on large-scale atmospheric modelling of these particles. They laid the groundwork for further exploration of the spread of microplastics in the atmosphere, a pressing issue for society,"
Exceptional modelling and writing
"While we possess some knowledge regarding microplastics presence and behaviour in terrestrial and aquatic environments, research on atmospheric microplastics remains nascent. This is precisely why Gudrun encountered various challenges during the modelling process. However, they took significant initiative and devised an innovative approach for example by coupling the microplastic emission rate to the CO2 emission from vehicles and parametrising the WRF model for microplastics properties. Moreover, Gudruns’ writing skills are outstanding", outlines Rezaei, summarising the rationale for the nomination.
The Executive Board of Wageningen University approved the nomination by Rezaei and Van der Molen. "I was utterly surprised," says Thorkelsdottir, "and I feel honoured that others also recognise value in my research." On November 23, they presented their research at Hive, the Unilever Food Innovation Centre in Wageningen, where they received the prize: a cheque for 2500 euros.
About the Unilever Research Prize
The Unilever Research Prize is a prestigious annual award given to 13 talented Master students from Dutch Universities for their outstanding research. The aim is to support talent in science and acknowledge Unilever’s important relationship with the Dutch academic world. An important selection criterion is that their chosen masters’ thesis topic makes a positive contribution to one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.