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

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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.