Nanoplastics in the Arctic: presence, source and fate

纳米塑料由于其高反应性和纳米级颗粒与微米级颗粒相比的行为变化，最近成为政治、科学和公众关注的前沿。在纳米尺度上，材料性能（扩散率和生物效应）呈指数级增强。因此，纳米塑料给环境和生物物种带来了更大的风险，也给分析带来了更大的挑战。虽然微塑料很可能通过大气和洋流到达北极，但目前还没有关于北极纳米塑料的数据和知识。然而，北极是地球上重要的生态系统之一，那里的条件影响着我们气候和生物的许多基本参数。这一系统的物理、化学和生物特性的变化将不可挽回地引起全球范围内的重大变化。由于生活并依赖于北极冰的生物和物种种类繁多，NPs的存在将对该系统产生灾难性影响。该计划未来五年的目标是确定纳米塑料在北极的存在、命运和影响，特别是在气候变化和环境中塑料碎片呈指数增长的背景下。更具体地说，我将解决以下问题：1)纳米塑料位于北极的哪里？2)我们如何才能最好地采样和表征北极基质中碳基纳米颗粒的存在？3)我们如何区分纳米塑料与冰、水柱和沉积物中的天然有机物质（NOM）的存在，特别是在冰形成和藻类繁殖期间？4)冰袋、水柱和沉积物中纳米塑料的相对丰度是多少？5)我们如何区分纳米塑料的大气和海洋来源（全球运输）以及当地来源（海上运输和淡水出口）？6)北极纳米塑料的年龄和生命周期是什么？为了做到这一点，我们建议开发新的分析方法，应用于在巴芬湾的战略区域取样的各种北极基质，以获得从冰袋到水柱到沉积物的纳米塑料的完整分布。我第一次提议追踪纳米塑料的生命周期，从来源到它们最终被生物群吸收的潜力。由于生活在其中的生物种类繁多，纳米塑料的存在可能会对北极造成灾难性的影响。对于纳米塑料来说，环境中的塑料碎片已经提上了政治议程，成为公众关注的问题。如果我们能够证明纳米塑料存在于北极，那么就需要新的决策和研究来减轻它们的影响，因为目前还不可能将它们从环境中移除。

Nanoplastics have recently come to the forefront of political, scientific, and public attention due to their high reactivity and nanoscale particle behaviour variations compared to their microscale particles. At the nanoscale, material properties (diffusivity and biological effects) are exponentially enhanced. Therefore, nanoplastics present a greater risks for the environment and the living species and also a greater analytical challenge. Though microplastics are likely to reach the Arctic through atmospheric and oceanic currents, there is no data and knowledges on nanoplastics in the Arctic. And yet, the Arctic is one of Earth's key ecosystems, and conditions there affect many fundamental parameters of our climate and living organisms. A change in the physical, chemical and biological properties of this system will irremediably induce a substantial change at the global scale. Due to the wide variety of organisms and species living and depending to the Arctic ice, the presence of NPs will induce a catastrophic impact on this system. The objective of this programme for the next five years is to determine the presence, fate and impact of nanoplastics in the Arctic, particularly in the context of the climate change and the exponentially growing release of plastic debris in the environment. More specifically, I will address the following questions: 1) Where are nanoplastics located in the Arctic? 2) How can we best sample and characterize the presence of carbon-based nanoparticles in Arctic matrices? 3) How can we differentiate the presence of nanoplastics from the natural organic matter (NOM) in ice, the water column, and sediment, especially during ice formation and the algae bloom? 4) What is the relative abundancy of nanoplastics in the icepack, the water column and the sediment? 5) How can we discriminate between atmospheric and oceanic sources (global transportation) of nanoplastics, and local sources (maritime transport and freshwater outlets)? 6) What is the age and lifecycle of nanoplastics in the Arctic? To do so we propose to develop new analytical methods applied to various Arctic matrices sampled in strategic zones in Baffin Bay in order to obtain a complete distribution of nanoplastics from ice pack to water column to sediment. For the first time I propose to trace the nanoplastics life cycle from source to their final potential assimilation by biota. Due to the wide variety of organisms living in, and depending on, the presence of nanoplastics may have a catastrophic impact on the Arctic. For nanoplastics, plastic debris in the environment is already on political agendas and a matter of public concern. If we can demonstrate that nanoplastics are present in the Arctic, then new decisions and research will be required to mitigate their effects, since it is not yet possible to remove them from the environment.