Characterizing Microplastics and Microfibres using micro-FTIR

微塑料和微纤维（一起作为微粒）污染从两极到赤道的每一个环境隔间，对包括人类在内的动物种群造成接触和潜在的不利影响。微粒构成了各种各样的污染物，它们具有足够的持久性，可以进行长距离运输。加拿大领导七国集团国家制定了《海洋塑料宪章》，并制定了一项塑料科学议程（CaPSA），优先考虑环境中塑料的检测、量化和表征。我们资助和提议的研究旨在通过推进加拿大环境中微粒的检测、量化和表征，并了解它们从源头到汇的运输，为CaPSA的优先事项做出贡献。最终，我们的目标是贡献所需的科学，以制定可防御的战略，以减少环境中微粒的投入和危害。******实现我们的研究目标依赖于可靠的分析仪器，能够识别每个微粒中的化学物质；这是必要的，因为化学成分及其来源差异很大。我们有机会适应微粒鉴定，一种现有的“高端”微型ftir，以前用于矿物鉴定。这种改造需要购买新的硬件和软件，使其能够用于微粒识别。我们还要求购买一个层流柜，用于样品的“清洁”处理。******我们的设备要求对于履行我们对已资助和拟议项目的义务至关重要。这些项目包括：(1)通过表征水和沉积物中的微粒，调查从安大略省南部和温尼伯湖延伸到北极的“汇”环境（由多伦多大学北部污染物计划资助，安大略省环境，保护和公园部（MECP）提供实物支持）；(2)确定来源，特别是洗衣（由加拿大环境和气候变化部资助）；(3)研究大气输送途径（加拿大卫生部），城市风暴和废水输送途径（多伦多大学；加拿大渔业和海洋部）；地表水输送；(4)开发可靠、快速和具有成本效益的采样、样品处理和鉴定方法（所有资金来源）。到目前为止，我们已经招收了18名本科生，3名硕士，2名博士和1名博士后，并为2名博士和3名硕士学生以及每年至少5名本科生提供新的资助。这些学生获得的技能使他们在这个快速发展的领域具有很强的竞争力。然而，所有这些工作都取决于我们对需要在清洁条件下处理的样品进行化学表征的能力，这激发了这项资助申请

Microplastics and microfibres (together as microparticles) contaminate every environmental compartment from the poles to the equator, with exposure and the potential to cause adverse effects to animal populations, including humans. Microparticles constitute a diverse range of contaminants that are sufficiently persistent to undergo long range transport. Canada led the G7 countries to develop the Ocean Plastics Charter and has developed a Plastic Science Agenda (CaPSA) that prioritizes the detection, quantification and characterization of plastics in the environment. Our funded and proposed research aims to contribute to these CaPSA priorities by advancing the detection, quantification and characterization of microparticles in the Canadian environment, and to understand their transport from source to sink. Ultimately, our goal is to contribute the science needed to develop defensible strategies to reduce inputs and harm posed by microparticles in the environment. ******Achieving our research goals depends on reliable access to analytical instrumentation capable of identifying the chemical(s) in each microparticle; this is necessary since chemical composition, and hence source, vary widely. We have the opportunity to adapt for microparticle identification, an existing, “high end” micro-FTIR, previously used for mineral identification. This retrofitting requires purchasing new hardware and software to enable its use for microparticle identification. We are also asking to purchase a laminar flow cabinet needed for the “clean” processing of samples.******Our equipment request is essential for meeting our obligations with funded and proposed projects. These projects include: (1) investigating “sink” environments that extend from southern Ontario and Lake Winnipeg to the Arctic by characterizing microparticles in water and sediment (funded by Univ of Toronto, Northern Contaminants Program, in-kind support from Ontario's Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP); (2) characterizing sources, notably clothes laundering (funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada); (3) studying pathways of atmospheric transport (Health Canada), urban storm- and wastewater transport (Univ of Toronto; Dept of Fisheries and Oceans Canada); surface water transport (MECP); and (4) developing reliable, rapid and cost-effective methods for sampling, sample handling and identification (all funding sources).We have engaged 18 undergraduates, 3 MSc, 2 PhD and 1 post-doctoral fellow to date and have new funding for 2 additional PhD and 3 MSc students plus a minimum of 5 undergraduates per year. The skills gained by these students make them highly competitive for employment in this fast-growing field. However, all this work hinges on our ability to chemically characterize our samples that need to be handled under clean conditions, which motivates this funding application.**