Doctoral Dissertation Research: Stratigraphic records of microplastic pollution in coastal and wetland sediments

本博士论文项目调查沿海湿地沉积物中微塑料的地层分布和丰度。沿海沉积物被认为是一个重要的微塑料“汇”，但对表层以下的微塑料的研究很少。此外，本研究还调查了飓风对沿海沉积物中微塑料迁移和掩埋的影响。了解微塑料在沿海沉积物中的沉积速率非常重要，因为海洋和沿海环境中的塑料已被归类为人类活动直接导致的全球性问题。这项研究的数据可以为塑料污染的环境政策制定提供信息，对敏感的沿海社区的健康产生积极影响。调查沿海沉积物中微塑料的地层特征是一个新兴的研究领域，有助于更好地了解环境污染和估计微塑料丰度。该项目包括基于实地的数据收集，为环境建模提供信息，以产生大规模的估计。这项研究将调查（1）自1950年首次广泛使用以来，微塑料沉积的速率是否随着产量的增加而增加，（2）比表面更深的沉积物是否是微塑料的重要汇，以及（3）飓风在微塑料的运输和沉积中发挥的作用。这些主题将使用沉积学，地球化学和微古生物学技术来解决，从而全面了解沿海沉积物中微塑料的流行情况。该研究收集的数据和得出的结论对政策制定者和其他负责解决自然界微塑料污染的利益相关者具有价值。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This doctoral dissertation project investigates the stratigraphic distribution and abundance of microplastic in the sediments of coastal wetlands. Coastal sediments have been surmised to be a significant microplastic “sink,” but few studies have been completed on microplastic below the surface layer. Additionally, this study investigates the impacts of hurricanes on microplastic transport and burial in coastal sediments. Understanding the deposition rates of microplastic in coastal sediments is extremely important as plastic in the marine and coastal environment has been categorized as a global problem directly resulting from human activities. Data from this study can inform environmental policy-making on plastic pollution, positively influencing the health of sensitive coastal communities.Investigating the stratigraphic signature of microplastic in coastal sediments is an emerging field of study and contributes to a better understanding of environmental pollution and estimates of microplastic abundance. This project includes field-based data collection to inform environmental modeling to produce large-scale estimates. This research will investigate (1) if rates of microplastic deposition since their initial widespread use in 1950 CE increased in line with increased production, (2) whether sediment deeper than the surface is a significant sink of microplastic, and (3) the role hurricanes play in the transport and deposition of microplastic. These topics will be addressed using sedimentological, geochemical, and micropaleontological techniques producing a full view of the prevalence of microplastic in coastal sediments. Data gathered and conclusions made from this study are of value to policy makers and other stakeholders tasked with addressing microplastic pollution in the natural world.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.