Biodegradable Micro and Nanoplastics as Emerging Environmental Pollutants

微纳米塑料的积累及其对生物体、食物网、营养和能量转移、生态系统功能以及最终生态系统服务的影响是一个全球性问题。可生物降解微纳米塑料（BMNPs）的环境和生态效应、有毒物质的吸附和释放以及BMNPs在迁移遗留污染物中的作用仍有待阐明。在水生环境中，并非所有可生物降解塑料都表现出相同的腐烂速度，因此，生物降解可能需要较长的时间。许多遗留化合物，如多氯萘（PCN），可以与BMNP相互作用，使协同效应非常可能。出于这个原因，本QUADRAT博士的目标是评估从油基塑料转向新型可生物降解塑料的影响。目的是利用斑马鱼毒理学模型来评估两种产量最高的可生物降解塑料的影响，生物基塑料（PLA -聚乳酸）和非生物基塑料（PBAT -聚己二酸丁二酯）和遗留污染物（PCN）在爱尔兰海广泛存在。这种方法是基于QML的试点研究，该研究表明shanny易于操作，并且适用于环境和饮食中各种塑料的暴露实验。该项目将结合海洋生物学、环境化学、遗传学、生物信息学和系统生物学的各个方面。该项目的多学科方法为鱼类生物学、行为、生态学、最先进的组学技术以及先进的环境和风险评估分析等各个方面的培训提供了极好的机会。

The accumulation of micro-nano-plastics and the effects these have on organisms, food webs, nutrient and energy transfers, ecosystem function, and ultimately ecosystem services are a global concern. The environmental and ecological effects of biodegradable micro and nanoplastics (BMNPs), the adsorption and release of toxic substances, and the role of BMNPs in transporting legacy contaminants remains to be elucidated. In the aquatic environment, not all biodegradable plastics exhibit the same rates of decay and consequently, biodegradation can take an extended time. Many legacy compounds, such as polychlorinated naphthalene (PCN), can interact with BMNP making synergistic effects highly likely. For this reason, the goal of this QUADRAT PhD is to assess the implications of switching from oil-based plastics to newer biodegradable plastics. The objective is to exploit a sentinel fish species the shanny (Lipophrys pholis) informed by the zebrafish toxicology model to assess the impacts of the two most-produced biodegradable plastics, biobased (PLA - polylactic acid) and non-biobased (PBAT - polybutylene adipate terephthalate) and a legacy contaminant (PCN) that is widespread in in the Irish Sea. This approach is based on pilot studies at QML showing shanny is easy to manipulate, and amenable to exposure experiments with various plastics, both ambient and in the diet. The project will combine aspects of marine biology, environmental chemistry, genetics, bioinformatics, and systems biology. The project's multidisciplinary approach provides an excellent opportunity for training in various aspects of fish biology, behaviour, ecology, state-of-the-art 'omics technologies, and advanced environmental and risk assessment analysis.