Dr. Rios has been working for more than fifteen years with microplastics pollution. Currently, she is researching the concentration of toxic compounds adsorbed on plastic particles, sediments, and tissues samples from the Oceans and the Great Lakes. Working with emerging contaminants, such as caffeine, phthalates, triclosan, Dr. Rios' research interest has a wide range. Now, she is working with samples from Newton Creek and St. Louis River Estuary to assess the contamination for polycyclic aromatic compounds. These compounds are mainly formed from incomplete combustion of gasolines and from petroleum. Dr. Rios is constantly giving seminars in scientific conferences at national and international levels. In addition, she gives talks to people at a community level to discuss issues about plastic pollution and their consequences in our freshwater systems. She engages her students in analytical chemistry research and collaborates with them to present their research results at conferences.
