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MILJØFORSK-Miljøforskning for en grønn samfunnsomstilling

Formation of small plastic particles in the environment and their bioavailability, accumulation and impacts on aquatic species

Alternative title: Dannelse av små plastpartikler i miljøet: Biotilgjengelighet, akkumulering og påvirkning på akvatiske arter

Awarded: NOK 10.0 mill.

REVEAL focuses on studying how small microplastic (sMP; <100 µm) and nanoplastic (NP; <1 µm) particles are formed through degradation of larger plastic items and how these particles behave as they are transported from freshwater, through coastal brackish waters, and into the marine environment. This knowledge is then used to design environmentally relevant exposure scenarios so that the bioavailability, accumulation and potential for toxicological impacts can be assessed using aquatic organisms with the highest risk to sMP and NP exposure. REVEAL has a strong emphasis on developing and applying innovative combinations of analytical tools and methods for identifying and quantifying sMP/NP and partially degraded sMP/NP in natural waters. The application of these methods to complex environmental matrices such as sediments and biota will also be assessed. In a move away from using commercially available, 'pristine' spherical reference materials, REVEAL aims to produce and study partially degraded and irregular-shaped sMP and NP representing those typically found in the environment. The project is developed around two specific case studies; polyethylene plastic bags and microplastic fibres from synthetic textiles. The project has already sourced a set of polyester (PES), polyamide (PA; nylon) and polyacrylic (PAN) yarns from commercial textile producers. We are currently in dialogue with Handelensmiljøfond about the most relevant types of plastic bags to include in our study. These 'bulk' materials will then be transformed into the partially degraded sMP/NP needed for the different studies planned within REVEAL. The main work conducted so far has focused on methods for producing the sMP and NP reference materials we need for development of the analytical methods, for use in degradation studies and for application in the fate and effect studies. We have investigated cryomilling, but this is unable to produce particles in the sizes of interest to REVEAL. In the next step of the project we will investigate the use of accelerated simulated sunlight to facilitate rapid UV degradation and fragmentation of the bulk materials. Preliminary studies indicate this is a highly promising approach and we will now focus on optimising the process. To isolate the particle size fractions of interest for the different studies planned in REVEAL (sMP, 10-100 µm; NP <1 µm), we have used commercially available reference plastic particles to develop a fractionation procedure based on a combination of stirred cell filtration using a series of different pore-sized filters and centrifugal filtration (NPs; <1 µm). The methodology is currently being validated and is almost ready for use when required in the project. A key aspect of REVEAL is to develop analytical methods suitable for the identification and quantification of sMP and NP, ideally in complex environmental and biological matrices. So far, we have begun establishing identification and mass-based quantification methods for individual polymer types using pyrolysis GC-MS. This work is completed for polyethylene (plastic bags) and will be extended in the next period to include the microfibre polymers (PES, PA , PAN). Data generated from REVEAL will be relevant to a wide range of national and international end-users, including government, public, industry and the wider scientific community. To enable 2-way communication with intended end-users, a stakeholder group representing end-users from ten different national and international organisations has been established. The first Stakeholder kick-off meeting was held on 16 June 2021, where the group was introduced to the project. A follow-up Stakeholder workshop is planned in Q4 2021. The Stakeholder group will meet on regular basis throughout the project period. In the next period, REVEAL will study how these consumer products degrade in aquatic environments, how the resulting products of sMP and NP degradation behave in natural waters and whether these products are bioavailable to aquatic organisms. Importantly, REVEAL will determine whether sMP and NP are small enough to transfer across biological barriers (e.g. gut wall) and bioaccumulate inside organisms, potentially causing adverse effects. By effectively communicating the knowledge generated, the project will contribute to increasing environmental awareness of this significant component of plastic pollution by informing strategically important international organisations such as the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the UN's Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection. REVEAL is currently engaged with the EU MSFD technical group on marine litter (TGML) and contributing directly to the development of a 'White Paper' on microplastic.

REVEAL will focus on studying how small microplastic (sMP; <100 µm) and nanoplastic (NP; <1 µm) particles are formed through degradation of larger plastic items and how these particles behave as they are transported from freshwater, through coastal brackish waters, and into the marine environment. This knowledge will be used to design environmentally relevant exposure scenarios so that the bioavailability, accumulation and potential for toxicological impacts can be assessed using aquatic organisms identified as being at highest risk to exposure. REVEAL will have a strong focus on developing and applying innovative combinations of analytical tools and approaches that are needed for identifying and quantifying sMP in natural waters. The application of these methods to complex environmental matrices such as sediments and biota will also be assessed. In a move away from using commercially available, 'pristine' spherical reference materials, REVEAL will produce and study partially degraded and irregular-shaped sMP and NP typically found in the environment. The project is developed around two specific case studies; polyethylene plastic bags and microplastic fibres from synthetic textiles. REVEAL will study how these consumer products degrade in aquatic environments, how the resulting sMP and NP degradation products behave in natural waters and whether these products are bioavailable to aquatic organisms. Importantly, REVEAL will determine whether sMP and NP are sufficiently small to transfer across biological barriers and bioaccumulate inside organisms, potentially causing adverse effects. By effectively communicating the knowledge generated, the project will contribute to increasing environmental awareness of this significant component of plastic pollution by informing strategically important international organisations such as the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the UN's Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection.

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MILJØFORSK-Miljøforskning for en grønn samfunnsomstilling