Descripción del proyecto
El efecto de los microplásticos en los suelos
La contaminación por microplásticos del medio marino ha recibido mucha atención. Sin embargo, los microplásticos también constituyen una amenaza para el medio edáfico, aunque los mecanismos subyacentes y sus efectos más amplios son poco conocidos. El equipo del proyecto TRAMPAS, financiado con fondos europeos, colmará esta brecha del conocimiento al examinar si los microplásticos aumentan la hidrofobicidad de la superficie de los poros del suelo, lo que aumenta la movilidad de microorganismos potencialmente patógenos. En esta iniciativa se abordarán dos retos de importancia social, a saber: la contaminación por microplásticos y el destino de patógenos en el medio ambiente. Sus investigadores cuantificarán primero cómo interactúan el estrés climático y las propiedades del suelo con los microplásticos para inducir la hidrofobicidad y llevarán a cabo experimentos de lixiviación utilizando ADN sintetizado. A continuación, medirán los procesos a escala de los poros del suelo mediante la microfluídica y examinarán la formación de microplásticos colonizados por microbios (la plastisfera).
Objetivo
Microplastic pollution has received considerable attention for the marine environment, but hidden out of sight are microplastics in soil. In Europe alone, there are likely more microplastics in soil than in all the world’s oceans. Microplastics can adversely affect soils, but the underlying mechanisms and wider impacts are poorly understood. A significant impact could be increased hydrophobicity of the soil pore surface, which can increase the movement of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. I found that the concentration of microplastics and soil temperature increase the soil-water contact angle, a measure of hydrophobicity. This project will explore how microplastics influence soil through the development of hydrophobicity and the impacts to bacteria and virus transport and retention. It builds on my recent research that was the first to link the development of soil hydrophobicity with increased leaching of bacteria. Two challenges of societal importance are addressed: (1) microplastic pollution and (2) pathogen fate in the environment.
I will bring together a range of approaches, starting first with quantifying how climatic stresses and soil properties interact with microplastics to induce hydrophobicity. This will be followed by leaching experiments, where microbial retention and leaching will be tracked with a novel approach using synthesised DNA. Soil pore scale processes will be measured using microfluidics, where the spread and retention of microbes and water can be visualised directly under highly controlled conditions. Finally, I will study microplastic contaminated soil, exploring the formation of microbial colonised microplastics – the ‘plastisphere’.
Working with a strong multidisciplinary team I will gain excellent training in state-of-the-art analysis approaches. By using highly visual approaches in my research, such as microfluidics, I will be able to demonstrate its impact to a range of audiences, from the public, through policy, to scientists.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
AB24 3FX ABERDEEN
Reino Unido