Sources, impacts and solutions for plastics in South East Asia coastal environments

东南亚地区每年向海洋排放超过400万吨塑料废物，正面临着我们星球上最重要的海洋塑料污染危机之一，威胁着海洋生态系统的生物多样性，沿海旅游业，渔业和水产养殖业，这对该地区的经济增长至关重要。塑料废弃物在海洋环境中是持久存在的，主要是数量较少的微塑料（MP）颗粒，这一点越来越受到关注。海洋MP的毒性随其丰度、大小、形状、化学性质和其微生物生物膜的组成而变化。MP颗粒的表面，称为塑料球，作为微生物定殖的支持物，在那里它们可以是具有有限捕食的保护区。栖息在塑料圈中的微生物生物膜是该栖息地特有的，并且可以包括塑料降解剂和/或有害病原体。MP也是沿海环境中发现的其他有毒污染物的潜在载体，这些污染物可能转化为社会和生态系统的健康问题。由于化合物的组成不同，海洋MP本身就很复杂，这将决定特定的浮力和表面粗糙度，这反过来又决定了微生物定殖的程度和长距离扩散的潜力。为了确定海洋MP的自然生物和光化学降解性，并量化海洋MP对海洋生态系统，水产养殖和人类健康的影响，有必要在实验室中使用野外工作和先进分子技术相结合，并从这一新角度应对塑料污染危机。我们的团队将全面调查微塑料颗粒对东南亚不同地区微生物样本的影响，涵盖一系列不同的物理和化学水类型。对MP颗粒的运输进行建模将确定东南亚的源和汇网络，并提供与微塑料相关的风险的时间数据。我们将部署先进的最先进的技术来量化不同营养水平的大量微塑料颗粒的影响，从栖息在MP表面的复杂微生物群落到双壳类和鱼类。我们将确定新的微生物降解剂，参与生物降解途径的关键酶，并了解阳光如何提高柠檬酸聚合物的（生物）降解性。该项目的总体目标是提供关于海洋MP的生物和光化学降解性的新见解，破译塑料球降解海洋MP和将病原体传播给人类和水产养殖受体的作用。我们的项目将向前迈出重要的一步，为未来的沿海政策和法规提供决策工具和指导方针，涉及：（i）塑料可持续性，禁止最有害的聚合物（ii）塑料和废水处理（iii）塑料的生物回收和最危险塑料聚合物的分类以及（iv）食品安全和人类暴露风险。我们的长期愿景是，我们的研究成果将通过提供必要的知识来减少海洋MP的数量，从而使东南亚的整体经济受益，这将最终导致更健康的沿海旅游，渔业和水产养殖。

The South East (SE) Asian region releases every year into the ocean more than four million tonnes of plastic waste and is facing one of the most important marine plastic pollution crises on our planet, threatening the biodiversity of marine ecosystems, coastal tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, which are vital for the economic growth of the region. Plastics debris are persistent in the marine environment are dominated by the smaller abundant microplastic (MP) particles, that are of increasing concern. The toxicity of marine MPs vary with their abundance, size, shape, chemical properties, and composition of their microbial biofilm. The surface of MP particles, referred to as the plastisphere, serves as a support for the colonisation of microorganisms where they may be protected area with limited predation. Microbial biofilms inhabiting the plastisphere are specific to this habitat and can include both plastic degraders and/or harmful pathogens. MPs are also potential vectors for other toxic contaminants found in coastal environments that could translate into health issues for society and ecosystems. Marine MPs are inherently complex due to the varying composition of compounds, which will determine the specific buoyancy and surface rugosity, which in turn dictates the extent of microbial colonisation and potential for long distance dispersal. To determine the natural biological and photochemical degradability of marine MPs and to quantify the impacts of marine MPs on marine ecosystems, aquaculture and human health, it is essential to use a combination of fieldwork and advanced molecular techniques in the laboratory, and tackle the plastic pollution crisis with this new angle. Our team will conduct a comprehensive investigation of the impact of microplastic particles on microorganisms sampled from different regions in SE Asia, spanning a range of different physical and chemical water typologies. Modelling the transport of MP particles will identify a network of sources and sinks across SE Asia and provide a temporal data on the risks associated with microplastics. We will deploy advanced, state-of-the art techniques to quantify the impact the abundant microplastic particles at different trophic levels from the complex microbial communities inhabiting the surface of MPs, to bivalves and fish. We will identify new microbial degraders, key enzymes involved in biodegradation pathways and understand how sunlight can enhance the (bio)degradability of recalcitrant polymers. The overarching aim of this project is to provide new insights on the biological and photochemical degradability of marine MP, deciphering the role of the plastisphere for degrading marine MPs and disseminating pathogens to human and aquaculture receptors. Our project will deliver an important step forward by offering decision-making tools and guidelines for future coastal policies and regulations in relation to: (i) plastic sustainability, banning the most harmful polymers (ii) photocatalysis and wastewater treatments (iii) bio-recycling of plastics and classification of the most hazardous plastic polymers and (iv) food safety and human exposure risks. Our long-term vision is that our results will benefit the overall economy in SE Asia by providing the necessary knowledge to reduce the volume of marine MPs, which will ultimately lead to healthier coastal tourism, fisheries and aquaculture.