Fate and Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments

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Plastic litter is found everywhere in the environment and there is growing global concern about the impact it may have on organisms and ecosystems. Although microplastic and nanoplastic (MNP) contamination on land has received little attention, it is estimated to be much greater than in the ocean. There are particularly large knowledge gaps on the processes governing nanoplastic transformations, transport and toxicity in Canadian soils and freshwaters. Thus, to support policy makers in developing appropriate, informed strategies for risk assessment and management, it is important that we develop an understanding of the fate and any adverse impacts of these emerging pollutants in terrestrial and freshwater environments.***The objectives of this research program are to assess the processes driving the fate and burden of MNP released to Canadian soils and waters and the properties governing their impacts, towards informing practices, policies and regulations that will protect the environment and public health. The proposed research in this emerging field is original and innovative because (i) it will provide new knowledge on the formation, environmental fate and impacts of nanoplastics that have been mostly ignored due to methodological challenges; (ii) the work will be done under conditions relevant to a Northern climate and environment; and (iii) it focuses on plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments that have been particularly overlooked in comparison to marine systems.***The research will be accomplished by 1 postdoc (Banting fellow), 4 PhD, 3 Masters, and 5 undergraduate students. This research has very high training value as it is challenging, innovative, involves state-of-the-art techniques, and offers opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration. The approach used to address our research questions will include rigorous laboratory studies of MNP formation, aggregation, transport and toxicity. We will first study MNP formation rates from different types of plastics by simulating the effects of typical Canadian winter temperatures and freeze-thaw cycles. Results from controlled tests will be compared to outdoor MNP exposures. We will also quantify MNP transport over a range of water chemistries representative of Canadian freshwaters. Finally, the ability of MNPs to enhance the transport of other contaminants and the toxicity of MNPs to insects will be determined.***This research will be the first to comprehensively evaluate the fate and impacts of MNPs in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in a Canadian context. The original scientific knowledge generated is sure to improve risk assessments and support the development of regulatory guidelines by government agencies; namely, Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The research will be disseminated through publications, conferences, outreach activities and ongoing partnerships with government and industrial partners.