Source-specific identification, characterization and control of microplastics across a remote, rural and urban gradient

加拿大和国际社会越来越关注与微塑料（MP）普遍存在，积累和摄入潜力相关的风险。作为回应，联邦和市政战略已经提出，以减少塑料废物，支持循环经济，并减轻MP对环境的污染。有效实施政策的一个关键障碍仍然是MP来源，运输和命运的知识差距，限制了我们跟踪和清除环境中已有物质的能力。缺乏一致的分析方法限制了各项研究之间的数据可比性。这些差距限制了我们使用模型的能力，这些模型有助于确定源贡献和可持续控制措施，并且需要支持政策和管理举措。该计划通过使用新的方法来产生建立有效控制战略所需的知识，工具和数据来解决这些差距。我们将开发用于高分辨率样品分析的新工具。我们将协调各种仪器、机构以及空气、土壤和水的新的和现有的分析程序，以建立一个MP监测网络。这将有助于了解安大略各地议员的来源、途径和分布情况。我们将使用这些工具和数据，以确定MP源在偏远地区（如加拿大北极），并校准流域模型。将根据对现有技术的实验性评估，利用这些数据来量化控制措施的有效性。模型、数据和操作程序将通过新的在线MP数据库提供，确保该计划作为支持现有和未来研究计划的资源，例如北极监测和评估计划。通过直接与市政和联邦利益相关者合作，并与不同的利益相关者群体合作，通过该方案开发的知识将直接应用于支持可在加拿大各地使用的有效的MP缓解政策。

Canadian and international concern is mounting regarding risks associated with microplastic (MP) ubiquity, accumulation and potential for ingestion. In response, federal and municipal strategies have been proposed to reduce plastic waste, support a circular economy, and mitigate MP pollution in the environment. A key road block to efficient policy implementation remains the knowledge gap in MP sources, transport, and fate, limiting our capacity to track and remove those already in the environment. A lack of consistent analytical methods has restricted data comparability across studies. These gaps constrain our ability to use models, which help to identify source contributions and sustainable control measures, and which are needed to support policy and management initiatives. This program addresses these gaps by using novel approaches to generate the knowledge, tools and data required to establish effective control strategies. We will develop new tools for high resolution sample analysis. We will harmonise novel and existing analytical procedures across instruments, institutions, and across air, soil and water, to establish an MP surveillance network. This will build knowledge of sources, pathways and distribution of MPs across Ontario. We will use these tools and data to identify MP sources in remote areas (e.g. Canadian Arctic) and to calibrate watershed models. These will be used to quantify control measure effectiveness, based on experimental assessments of available technologies. Models, data, and operating procedures will be made available through a new online MP database, ensuring that this program acts as a resource to support existing and future research programs e.g. the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program. By working directly with municipal and federal stakeholders, and engaging with diverse groups of stakeholders, knowledge developed through this program will be directly applied to support effective MP mitigation policies which can be used across Canada.