EAGER: Quantifying Spatial Distribution of Micro- and Nanoplastics along an Antarctic Traverse

EAGER：量化沿南极横贯线的微米和纳米塑料的空间分布

• 批准号: 2334490
• 负责人: Marco Tedesco
• 金额: $ 26.99万
• 依托单位: Columbia 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: 2023-12-15 至 2025-11-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2334490&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Quantifying; Spatial; Distribution; Micro

Microplastics and nanoplastics are generated from a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds derived from petroleum and have become ubiquitous in the world since mass production began in the 1950s. Recent research has found that these polluting particles have been observed in the most pristine environments, including the Arctic and Antarctica. There is currently a lack of data on how microplastics and nanoplastics are distributed in areas that are far away from contaminating sources (e.g., cities). A better understanding of their distribution would help to build the models that can tell us the fate of such particles on our planet. In the case of Antarctica, the few existing studies of microplastics and nanoplastics have focused primarily on these pollutants in ocean waters, apart from one study that focused on samples collected over ice and snow in the vicinity of Ross Island. This EAGER project would leverage samples of snow collected by a British explorer during an unsupported ski traverse across Antarctica that will lead him from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. Samples will then be analyzed for microplastics and nanoplastics using a state-of-the-art facility. The data analysis will address the questions: Are there still pristine areas on Earth that have not been contaminated by microplastics and nanoplastics? What is the concentration of these pollutants within the South Pole snow?This project will quantify the spatial distribution of Microplastics and nanoplastics in Antarctica from the coast to the interior. Results will provide a better process understanding and support the development of models that can be used to quantify the spatio-temporal evolution of microplastics and to better assess how they interact with the atmosphere. Nanoplastics can be smaller than 2.5 µm and are therefore not well characterized due limitations in the methods. These particles are of great concern for the ecosystem due to their ability to penetrate the bodies of various organisms, such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, and bacteria. This project will use an ultrasensitive Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) platform to characterize nanoplastics smaller than 2.5 µm. The SRS was developed by this team and has proven to be a powerful technology for studying the health impact of nanoplastics at this scale. The samples collected on the traverse offer a unique opportunity to better understand the depositional fluxes of plastic in the remotest region on Earth, and importantly, show how the concentration of plastics vary from the surrounding oceans to the scientific base at the South Pole. The hypothesis is that microplastics and nanoplastics will be affected by both local human activities (e.g., at South Pole) and possibly by the long-range transport by winds across the continent. The combination of the data acquired during the Antarctic traverse and the new SRS platform makes this project unique from a technical point of view.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.

微塑料和纳米塑料是由多种源自石油的合成或半合成有机化合物产生的，自 20 世纪 50 年代开始大规模生产以来，它们在世界上无处不在。最近的研究发现，在最原始的环境中都观察到了这些污染颗粒。目前缺乏有关微塑料和纳米塑料在远离污染源的地区（例如，更好地了解它们的分布将有助于建立可以告诉我们地球上此类颗粒的命运的模型，就南极洲而言，现有的少数塑料微粒和纳米塑料研究主要集中在海洋中的这些污染物。除了一项针对罗斯岛附近冰雪采集样本的研究外，该 EAGER 项目还将利用一位英国探险家在无支撑滑雪穿越南极洲期间收集的雪样本，该探险将带领他从海岸出发。然后，将使用最先进的设施对样本进行微塑料和纳米塑料分析，以解决以下问题：地球上是否仍然存在未受到微塑料和纳米塑料污染的原始区域。纳米塑料？这些污染物在南极雪中的浓度是多少？该项目将量化南极洲从海岸到内陆的微塑料和纳米塑料的空间分布，结果将提供更好的过程理解和分析。支持开发可用于量化微塑料的时空演变并更好地评估它们如何与大气相互作用的模型。纳米塑料可能小于 2.5 µm，因此由于方法的限制而无法很好地表征这些颗粒。由于它们能够穿透浮游植物、浮游动物、鱼类和细菌等各种生物体，因此受到生态系统的高度关注。该项目将使用超灵敏的受激拉曼散射。用于表征小于 2.5 µm 的纳米塑料的 SRS 平台已被证明是一种强大的技术，可用于研究这种规模的纳米塑料对健康的影响。了解地球上最偏远地区的塑料沉积通量，重要的是，显示从周围海洋到南极科学基地的塑料浓度如何变化。假设微塑料和纳米塑料将成为可能。受到当地人类活动（例如在南极）的影响，也可能受到整个大陆风的远距离传输的影响。在南极穿越过程中获得的数据与新的 SRS 平台相结合，使该项目从技术角度来看是独一无二的。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。