What you need to know children’s exposure to plastics (part 2 of 2) with Imogen Napper
Release date: October 5, 2026
My guest for the second part of Talking About Kids’ miniseries on children and plastics is Imogen Napper. Imogen is a Post Doctoral Researcher at The University of Plymouth, where she studies plastic pollution in the environment. Imogen is a National Geographic Explorer and Sky Ocean Rescue Scholar. Her influential research has been reported by news outlets like The Guardian, cited in government testimony, and criticized by Chris DeArmitt (my guest for the first part of this miniseries). Imogen and I discuss her interpretation of the research on plastics in the environment and what that research might mean to kids. More information about Imogen and her research is below.
Biography of Imogen Napper
Imogen is a Post Doctoral Researcher at The University of Plymouth. Her research investigates the sources of plastic pollution into the environment.
In 2018, Imogen became a National Geographic Explorer and Sky Ocean Rescue Scholar. This funded her ongoing research to investigate different inventions which aim to capture fibres in the washing machine cycle, to stop them potentially entering the environment.
Currently, Imogen is working as an expedition scientist with National Geographic on the ‘Sea to Source’ expedition investigating plastic pollution in the River Ganges.
Links
Imogen Napper
"Environmental Deterioration of Biodegradable, Oxo-biodegradable, Compostable, and Conventional Plastic Carrier Bags in the Sea, Soil, and Open-Air Over a 3‑Year Period"
"Characterisation, quantity and sorptive properties of microplastics extracted from cosmetics"
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