Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PlastiSol (Quantification of the participation of soils in the microplastic pollution cycle and evidence based model analysis of atmosphere to ocean soil microplastic interaction)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-09-01 do 2024-08-31
The Issue and societal import: There is little doubt that micro and nanoplastics (MnP) are in our soils across the globe. Numerous studies including my own have found that atmospheric deposition alone is enough to pollute even our most pristine remote areas. What is unknown is what happens to it once it is there. Is it transported by runoff or pushed deeper into the soil? What is the effect of the chemicals leached from MnP on soil microbiome, air and receiving river ecosystems? Many of these (e.g. flame retardants) are ‘forever chemicals’, never break down but continue to cycle in the food chain. What is the threshold before irreversible damage occurs, and have we pass it? These knowledge gaps have far reaching implications for food and water security and survival of the fragile ecosystems that make our planet habitable. PlastiSol seeks to address these urgent questions in an attempt to push the boundaries of our knowledge on this emerging threat. Through studying a cross section of land use soils MnP and associated leachates and the processes that contain or transport these pollutants, this project will advance MnP pollution science beyond considering soil as a sink, evidencing atmospheric and receiving waterway impacts of soil pollution. Furthermore, examining the internal mechanisms of soil MnP movement and leachate release will define the potential groundwater influence, land management activities and storage capacities of different land use soils’ MnP. With this evidenced process knowledge, the impact of soil MnP on the global MnP cycle will be established, enabling soil to be included as a source, transport pathway and sink of plastic pollution, advancing the accuracy of global MnP quantification and the impact of soil MnP on ecosystems and all environmental compartments. Only in understanding the extent and impact of soil plastic pollution can it be effectively managed through change in land use practices and policy advancements.
Overall objectives:
Objective 1: Quantification and characterisation of soil MnP and create a baseline of soil MnPs across different soil systems and use types
Objective 2: Identify the drivers in soil MnP transport, accumulation and contaminant leaching in soils
Objective 3: Develop model-based capacity for assessing MnP risk in soils
Overall objectives:
Objective 1: Quantification and characterisation of soil MnP and create a baseline of soil MnPs across different soil systems and use types
Objective 2: Identify the drivers in soil MnP transport, accumulation and contaminant leaching in soils
Objective 3: Develop model-based capacity for assessing MnP risk in soils
This first year of the PlastiSol project has been busy and eventful. Due to illness and occurrences beyond the control of the researcher or project there have been some minor scheduling changes and a 6-week unplanned period of sick leave due to hospitalization. Despite this, this year has resulted in significant networking, research action and activity.
The project work commenced with the move from the University of Birmingham to the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a warm and collaborative welcome in UC. The focus of this first year was to commence field research studies, pilot test actions and to focus on advancing the state-of-the-art research methodology for micro and nano plastic analysis - specifically in complex matrices such as those for analysis within the PlastiSol project. To achieve this, there has been a successful method development, knowledge exchange and field study visit to Nova Scotia, Canada (Dalhousie University) where method advancement was collaboratively considered with the MP research team at this institute and a focus on the removal of human bias from sample analysis was undertaken. This was followed by local visit to the University of Victoria and GNS (Wellington New Zealand) to collaborate and knowledge exchange between the Raman and pyrolysis (GCMS) experts in December, January and February of 2022-2023. The field sites for the New Zealand focused research were also clearly defined during this first 6 month period through close interaction and learning in the UC plastics research group lead by Prof Sally Gaw and opportunity building through exploration of existing study sites and Iwi support for such field research. To ensure field research commenced in a timely manner, pilot studies were undertaken in conjunction with existing long-term monitoring of soil and atmospherics through an international visit and collaboration with the University of Crete. The short field campaign and interdisciplinary workshops undertaken in Crete during May 2023 resulted in successful pilot trialling of new field sampling methods and advancement of analytical methodology using an alternative Raman device.
The results and research actions undertaken for this first 12 months are primarily in draft for publication, but multiple dissemination activities (specifically workshop participation, presentations and interactive hands-on knowledge exchange) have occurred. Formal dissemination through public and science focused presentations have occurred at UC (to the plastic research group and the atmospheric climatology groups), University of Crete (open presentation and workshop on micro and nano plastic pollution and the plastic cycle as it pertains to the PlastiSol project), co-authorship of EGU 2023 conference presentation and publication (https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-589).
The project work commenced with the move from the University of Birmingham to the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a warm and collaborative welcome in UC. The focus of this first year was to commence field research studies, pilot test actions and to focus on advancing the state-of-the-art research methodology for micro and nano plastic analysis - specifically in complex matrices such as those for analysis within the PlastiSol project. To achieve this, there has been a successful method development, knowledge exchange and field study visit to Nova Scotia, Canada (Dalhousie University) where method advancement was collaboratively considered with the MP research team at this institute and a focus on the removal of human bias from sample analysis was undertaken. This was followed by local visit to the University of Victoria and GNS (Wellington New Zealand) to collaborate and knowledge exchange between the Raman and pyrolysis (GCMS) experts in December, January and February of 2022-2023. The field sites for the New Zealand focused research were also clearly defined during this first 6 month period through close interaction and learning in the UC plastics research group lead by Prof Sally Gaw and opportunity building through exploration of existing study sites and Iwi support for such field research. To ensure field research commenced in a timely manner, pilot studies were undertaken in conjunction with existing long-term monitoring of soil and atmospherics through an international visit and collaboration with the University of Crete. The short field campaign and interdisciplinary workshops undertaken in Crete during May 2023 resulted in successful pilot trialling of new field sampling methods and advancement of analytical methodology using an alternative Raman device.
The results and research actions undertaken for this first 12 months are primarily in draft for publication, but multiple dissemination activities (specifically workshop participation, presentations and interactive hands-on knowledge exchange) have occurred. Formal dissemination through public and science focused presentations have occurred at UC (to the plastic research group and the atmospheric climatology groups), University of Crete (open presentation and workshop on micro and nano plastic pollution and the plastic cycle as it pertains to the PlastiSol project), co-authorship of EGU 2023 conference presentation and publication (https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-589).
Extensive and collaborative networking and sample analysis and method exploration has been undertaken internationally. The research network focusing on advancing state-of-the-art micro and nano plastic analysis in complex matrices has been actively created including workshop and conferencing with GNS NZ (Dr Sebastian Naeher) , Dr Elvis Okoffo (University of Queensland, Australia), Dr John Scott (University of Illinois), Prof Dusan Materic (Utrecht University and Helmholtz Institute)
Raman and fluorescence methodology advancement has been instigated through collaborative interactions, workshops and sample analysis between the following network (created through interactive activities designed within the PlastiSol project) – Dalhousie University (Amber Le Blanc) development of AI based analytical methods for particle delineation; Dalhousie University and University of Newfoundland (Justine Ammendolia) advancement of Raman spectrographic techniques for ultra-small microplastic particles, UoB, UC, University of Victoria, Utrecht University and Helmholtz Institute (Dr Liam Kelleher - Birmingham, Prof Sally Gaw and Jeane Thomas – Christchurch, Prof Eric Le Ru - Wellington, Dr Matthias Schmidt – Utrecht University and Helmholtz Institute) advancement or Raman spectrographic techniques for micro and nano plastics.
As part of the projects involvement in dissemination and socio-economic impact aligned with wider social implications, the researcher has been heavily involved with both the global plastic treaty and INC discussions, being an active member of the Scientists' Coalition participating in an Advisory Group on a science-policy interface for the new plastics agreement. The researcher has also been acting as a scientific advisor to CIEL (Centre for International Environmental Law) helping to create an accurate white paper guidance document for INC and the plastics treaty talks focused on the social and environmental impacts of micro and nano plastics. As a result, the following dissemination and social facing works have been published: https://www.ciel.org https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adf5410
Raman and fluorescence methodology advancement has been instigated through collaborative interactions, workshops and sample analysis between the following network (created through interactive activities designed within the PlastiSol project) – Dalhousie University (Amber Le Blanc) development of AI based analytical methods for particle delineation; Dalhousie University and University of Newfoundland (Justine Ammendolia) advancement of Raman spectrographic techniques for ultra-small microplastic particles, UoB, UC, University of Victoria, Utrecht University and Helmholtz Institute (Dr Liam Kelleher - Birmingham, Prof Sally Gaw and Jeane Thomas – Christchurch, Prof Eric Le Ru - Wellington, Dr Matthias Schmidt – Utrecht University and Helmholtz Institute) advancement or Raman spectrographic techniques for micro and nano plastics.
As part of the projects involvement in dissemination and socio-economic impact aligned with wider social implications, the researcher has been heavily involved with both the global plastic treaty and INC discussions, being an active member of the Scientists' Coalition participating in an Advisory Group on a science-policy interface for the new plastics agreement. The researcher has also been acting as a scientific advisor to CIEL (Centre for International Environmental Law) helping to create an accurate white paper guidance document for INC and the plastics treaty talks focused on the social and environmental impacts of micro and nano plastics. As a result, the following dissemination and social facing works have been published: https://www.ciel.org https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adf5410