Microplastics and plastic additives in the St. Lawrence River and Estuary: occurrence, fate and impacts

圣劳伦斯河和河口的微塑料和塑料添加剂：发生、归宿和影响

• 批准号: 558410-2020
• 负责人: Lu, Zhe
• 金额: $ 17.16万
• 依托单位: Université du Québec à Rimouski
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=706798
• 关键词: Microplastics; plastic; additives; St.; Lawrence

Microplastics (MPs) are defined as plastic fragments with a diameter less than 5 mm, which are known to be ingested by wildlife and humans. Ingestion of and exposure to microplastics may lead to adverse effects, including physical damage and toxicity related to plastics-associated chemicals (e.g., plastic additives). However, our knowledge about how MPs and plastic additives distribute, move, react and behave in the environment is very limited. Therefore, MPs pollution has been identified as a research priority by the Canadian government's Draft Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution. In Canada, the existing monitoring activities for MPs and plastic additives have centred on the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Arctic, and the status of these contaminants in other ecosystems remains largely unknown. The St. Lawrence River and Estuary (SLRE) host a suite of unique ecosystems but also constitute a vector of contaminants to the Atlantic Ocean. Given that the SLRE is one of Canada's priority ecosystems, is downstream from the Laurentian Great Lakes, and is home to more than 5 million Canadians, the lack of data on plastic pollution in the region impedes understanding effects on this important system and prioritization of management strategies. To address these knowledge gaps, this project will investigate (1) the occurrence and characteristics of MPs and plastic additives in atmospheric depositions, air particles, surface water, and biota (fish and bird) from the SLRE; (2) emissions of greenhouse gases and leaching of plastic additives during the photodegradation of MPs in water; (3) the inherent optical properties of MPs and their remote sensing applications; and (4) wildlife ecotoxicology of chemicals associated with MPs. Since the various plastics have different applications in industrial and commercial products, understanding the composition of MPs could help identify major sources and develop rational approaches for their management. Thus, the results obtained in this research will be highly valuable for the Canada-wide strategy on zero plastic waste to identify risks and provide effective countermeasures.

微塑料 (MP) 被定义为直径小于 5 毫米的塑料碎片，已知会被野生动物和人类摄入。摄入和接触微塑料可能会导致不利影响，包括与塑料相关化学品（例如塑料添加剂）相关的物理损害和毒性。然而，我们对 MP 和塑料添加剂如何在环境中分布、移动、反应和行为的了解非常有限。因此，MP污染已被加拿大政府的塑料污染科学评估草案确定为研究重点。在加拿大，现有的 MP 和塑料添加剂监测活动主要集中在劳伦森五大湖和北极地区，而这些污染物在其他生态系统中的状况在很大程度上仍然未知。圣劳伦斯河和河口 (SLRE) 拥有一系列独特的生态系统，但也是大西洋污染物的载体。鉴于 SLRE 是加拿大的优先生态系统之一，位于劳伦森五大湖的下游，并且是超过 500 万加拿大人的家园，因此该地区塑料污染数据的缺乏阻碍了了解对该重要系统的影响和管理的优先顺序策略。为了解决这些知识差距，该项目将研究（1）来自 SLRE 的大气沉积物、空气颗粒、地表水和生物群（鱼和鸟）中 MP 和塑料添加剂的出现和特征； (2)MP在水中光降解过程中温室气体的排放和塑料添加剂的浸出； （3）MP的固有光学特性及其遥感应用； (4) 与 MP 相关的化学品的野生动物生态毒理学。由于各种塑料在工业和商业产品中具有不同的应用，了解 MP 的组成有助于识别主要来源并制定合理的管理方法。因此，这项研究获得的结果对于加拿大范围内的零塑料废物战略识别风险并提供有效的对策非常有价值。