CAREER: Determining the mechanism and significance of microplastic pollution impacts on soil hydrology

职业：确定微塑料污染对土壤水文影响的机制和意义

• 批准号: 2340588
• 负责人: Farhad Jazaei
• 金额: $ 53.76万
• 依托单位: University of Memphis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-03-01 至 2029-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2340588&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Determining; mechanism; significance; microplastic

Microplastics, ranging from 0.001 to 5 mm in size, originate from various sources such as detergents, cosmetics, and the breakdown of larger items like films, fabrics, and vehicle tires. There is extensive evidence that microplastic pollution has been occurring in terrestrial environments for decades. However, agricultural farms are identified as the most microplastic-polluted areas, mainly due to the use of plastic mulching and the application of wastewater biosolids as fertilizer. This project aims to answer fundamental and critically important questions— Can microplastic pollution change the soil-water-plant interactions? If so, in what mechanism, and to what extent? Microplastics are generally not degradable and accumulate in topsoil systems, resulting in exponential pollution growth in the coming decades. Understanding microplastics’ impacts on soil-water-plant interactions will empower policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders to mitigate or prevent negative outcomes. By comprehending the mechanisms of impacts, scientists can develop effective mitigation strategies.The research objectives of this project have been formulated to advance understanding of the extent and mechanism of microplastics’ impact on soil-water retention characteristics and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Objective-1), soil pore structure and morphology using micro-computed tomography techniques (Objective-2), and soil desiccation crack development dynamics (Objective-3). This project will also assess the variance between impacts of new (non-degraded) and aged (degraded) microplastic on soil-water-plant interactions, indexing immediate and long-term impacts of microplastics (Objective-4). This project will generate generalizable outcomes through a comprehensive study of various influential factors, including three typical loamy-texture soils found in agricultural farms, two most commonly used plastic types (low and high-density polyethylene), five microplastic shapes (film, fiber, foam, fragment, and powder), four size ranges (50-150, 150-500, 500-2000, and 2000- 5000 µm), two organic matter contents (1% and 3%), two soil hydrophobicity conditions, and five environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations ( 1%), utilizing advanced statistical regressions and variance models, extended evaporation soil tests, and advanced micro-computed tomography techniques. The objectives will be pursued over five years with the support of two graduate and six undergraduate students, emphasizing on underrepresented minorities and students with disabilities. The project will integrate research with education and outreach by 1) implementing a professional development program for K-12 educators and creating a web-based environmental program, 2) introducing underrepresented students to environmental science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and careers; 3) introducing soil-microplastic pollution to local and national public, scientists, and policymakers, and 4) bringing soil pollution topics to the graduate and undergraduate curriculum at the University of Memphis.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.

微塑料尺寸从0.001到5毫米，源自各种来源，例如确定，化妆品以及较大物品（例如膜，织物和车辆轮胎）的细分。有广泛的证据表明，数十年来，在陆地环境中已经发生了微塑性污染。但是，农业农场被确定为最微型污染的区域，这主要是由于使用塑料覆盖物以及废水生物固醇作为肥料。该项目旨在回答基本和至关重要的问题 - 微型污染是否可以改变土壤水植物的相互作用？如果是这样，以什么机制以及在多大程度上？在表土系统中，微塑料通常不可降解和丙烯酸，从而导致未来几十年的指数污染增长。了解微塑料对土壤植物相互作用的影响将使决策者，科学家和利益相关者能够减轻或预防负面结果。通过理解影响的机制，科学家可以制定有效的缓解策略。该项目的研究目标已被制定，以提高对微塑料对土壤含水性保留特征的影响的程度和机制的理解，并使用微观计算机层造影技术（目标-2-rack Intressict）（ICTARKITISTINCTION-2）和土壤确定（ICTARGITION-2），以及确定（ICTICTIAN-2），以及确定（Ickitigant-Drigtding），并确定土壤结构和形态。该项目还将评估新（未降解）和老化（降解）微塑料对土壤水植物相互作用的影响之间的差异，从而对微塑料的直接和长期影响（Objective-4）产生了立即和长期影响。 This project will generate generalizable outcomes through a comprehensive study of various influential factors, including three typical loamy-texture soils found in agricultural farms, two most commonly used plastic types (low and high-density polyethylene), five microplastic shapes (film, fiber, foam, fragment, and powder), four size ranges (50-150, 150-500, 500-2000, and 2000- 5000 µm），两个有机物含量（1％和3％），两个土壤疏水性条件以及五个与环境相关的微型浓度（1％），利用先进的统计回归和方差模型，扩展的经济土壤测试以及先进的微型微型分组术技术。在两名研究生和六名本科生的支持下，将在五年内实现这些目标，并强调代表性不足的少数民族和残疾学生。该项目将通过1）为K-12教育者实施专业发展计划并创建基于网络的环境计划的教育和宣传将研究融合在一起，2）将代表性不足的学生介绍给环境科学，技术，工程，工程学和数学（STEM）研究和职业； 3）向地方和国家公众，科学家和决策者引入土壤 - 微塑性污染，以及4）将土壤污染主题带到孟菲斯大学的毕业生和本科课程中。该奖项反映了NSF的法规使命，并认为通过基金会的知识优点和广泛的critia criter criter criter criter criter criteria the Insportaution the Porce criperia。