The risk of microplastics to Canada's ecosystems

该提案概述了评估微塑料对加拿大淡水和土壤生态系统构成的风险所需的研究。相对于海洋生态系统，这两个生态系统在微塑料污染方面受到的关注要少得多。在这个项目中，我们将描述全国废水和生物固体中的微塑料含量。该项目还将研究微塑料的组成在土壤环境中如何变化，这提供了微塑料降解时可能释放到土壤中的化学物质以及微塑料吸附其他化学物质的能力如何变化的信息。我们还将描述通过生物固体和市政堆肥的土地应用以及在某些类型的农业中使用塑料覆盖物而对土壤造成的微塑料污染水平。沿着关于淡水和土壤生态系统暴露于微塑料的数据，我们将确定淡水和土壤中可能对微型和大型无脊椎动物以及微生物群落产生不利影响的微塑料水平。了解加拿大淡水和土壤生态系统中的微塑料污染水平以及微塑料如何对这些生态系统中的生物群产生不利影响，对于评估微塑料的风险至关重要。对微塑料进行强有力的生态风险评估是管理这一污染问题和制定保护加拿大自然资源政策的重要第一步。这个多学科合作项目产生的知识将指导解决塑料对环境影响所需的政策和决策。该项目还将培训32名高素质人员（HQP）评估塑料的命运和风险。这些HQP将提高加拿大解决塑料污染问题和制定必要政策的能力。项目团队将与来自联邦和省级机构以及非政府组织的委员会合作，确保该项目产生的知识与他们需要制定政策的塑料问题相关，并确保知识广泛传播给用户。

This proposal outlines research that is needed to assess the risk that microplastics pose to Canada's freshwater and soil ecosystems. These two ecosystems have received far less attention in terms of microplastic contamination relative to marine ecosystems. In this project, we will characterize the microplastic content of wastewater effluent and biosolids across the country. This project will also examine how the composition of microplastics changes in the soil environment, which provides information on the chemicals that may be released into the soil as microplastics degrade and how the ability of microplastics sorb other chemicals changes. We will also characterize the level of microplastic contamination that occurs to soils through the land application of biosolids and municipal compost and the use of plastic mulch in certain types of agriculture. Along with generating data on the exposure of freshwater and soil ecosystems to microplastics, we will determine the level of microplastics in freshwater and soil that can have an adverse effect on micro- and macroinvertebrates and the microbial community. Understanding the level of microplastic contamination in Canada's freshwater and soil ecosystems and how microplastics can have an adverse effect on biota in these ecosystems is critical to assessing the risk of microplastics. A robust ecological risk assessment of microplastics is one of the important first steps in managing this pollution issue and developing policy to protect Canada's natural resources. The knowledge produced by this collaborative multi-disciplinary project will guide the policy and decision making needed to address the impact that plastics are having on the environment. This project will also train 32 highly qualified personnel (HQP) in assessing the fate and risk of plastics. These HQP will increase Canada's capacity to address the problem of plastic pollution and in the formulation of the necessary policy. The project team will work with a committee from federal and provincial agencies and non-governmental organization that will ensure that the knowledge generated from this project is relevant to the plastic issues for which they need to develop policy and ensure the knowledge is spread broadly to users.