Doctoral Dissertation Research: Stratigraphic records of microplastic pollution in coastal and wetland sediments

博士论文研究：沿海和湿地沉积物中微塑料污染的地层记录

• 批准号: 2243590
• 负责人: Kam-biu Liu
• 金额: $ 2.49万
• 依托单位: Louisiana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-15 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2243590&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Stratigraphic; records

This doctoral dissertation project investigates the stratigraphic distribution and abundance of microplastic in the sediments of coastal wetlands. Coastal sediments have been surmised to be a significant microplastic “sink,” but few studies have been completed on microplastic below the surface layer. Additionally, this study investigates the impacts of hurricanes on microplastic transport and burial in coastal sediments. Understanding the deposition rates of microplastic in coastal sediments is extremely important as plastic in the marine and coastal environment has been categorized as a global problem directly resulting from human activities. Data from this study can inform environmental policy-making on plastic pollution, positively influencing the health of sensitive coastal communities.Investigating the stratigraphic signature of microplastic in coastal sediments is an emerging field of study and contributes to a better understanding of environmental pollution and estimates of microplastic abundance. This project includes field-based data collection to inform environmental modeling to produce large-scale estimates. This research will investigate (1) if rates of microplastic deposition since their initial widespread use in 1950 CE increased in line with increased production, (2) whether sediment deeper than the surface is a significant sink of microplastic, and (3) the role hurricanes play in the transport and deposition of microplastic. These topics will be addressed using sedimentological, geochemical, and micropaleontological techniques producing a full view of the prevalence of microplastic in coastal sediments. Data gathered and conclusions made from this study are of value to policy makers and other stakeholders tasked with addressing microplastic pollution in the natural world.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该博士论文项目研究了沿海湿地沉积物中微塑料的地层分布和抽象。沿海沉积物被推测是一种显着的微型塑料“下沉”，但在表面层下方的微型塑料上完成的研究很少。此外，这项研究还研究了飓风对沿海沉积物中微型运输和埋葬的影响。了解沿海沉积物中微塑性的沉积速率非常重要，因为海洋和沿海环境中的塑料已被归类为直接由人类活动导致的全球问题。这项研究的数据可以为塑料污染的环境政策制定提供信息，从而对敏感沿海社区的健康产生积极影响。研究沿海沉积物中微型塑性的地层标志是一个新兴的研究领域，有助于更好地理解环境污染和微塑性丰度的估计。该项目包括基于现场的数据收集，以告知环境建模以产生大规模估计。这项研究将调查（1）如果微塑料沉积物的最初宽度为1950 CE的最初宽度使用率是否与产量的增加相符，（2）（2）对表面深的沉积物是否是微塑料的显着水槽，以及（3）飓风在微塑料的运输和沉积中的作用。这些主题将使用沉积学，地球化学和微岩石学技术来解决，从而使沿海沉积物中微型塑料的普遍性充分看待。收集的数据和从这项研究中得出的结论对政策制定者和其他利益相关者的价值是为了解决自然世界中的微型污染。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准通过评估来获得的支持。