SCENARIO NERC DTP - Do microplastics transfer potentially toxic elements from water to soil?

The overall aim of this project is to determine to what extent plastic microfibres can act as vectors for the transfer of potentially toxic elements from water to soil.
Plastic debris with a diameter of <5 mm are classified as microplastics, which may be found in surface waters in concentrations of up to 100,000 fragments per m3. The prevalence of microplastics in the marine environment are well known. However, microplastics also enter terrestrial environments (soil and freshwater) through wastewater treatment plants, and their fate in these compartments is poorly understood. In particular, very little data is available for the occurrence of microplastics in soil, mainly due to the analytical difficulties associated with their isolation and detection. An important category of microplastics are the synthetic fibres (e.g. nylon and polyethylene terephthalate, PET) shed when washing clothes. A single garment can release ~2000 microfibres per wash into domestic wastewater. Hazardous pollutants such as heavy metals and metalloids which may occur in elevated concentrations in both wastewater and sewage sludge can adsorb to microplastics. Hence, there is potential for these toxic elements to become adsorbed onto plastic microfibres in wastewater and sewage sludge and enter terrestrial ecosystems by this route. The aim of this project is to investigate the significance and impacts of these sinks for plastic microfibers and, in particular, how microfibres can affect the biogeochemical cycling and bioavailiability of toxic elements (such as Sb, Cd, Cr and Pb) in soils.

To hear more about this project please follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i21b7XpwCHI&list=PLZWYaq_mWwsEM5dH1abHjYIgU2EVaegT9&index=13

To read more about this project please follow the link: http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/nercdtp/home/available/desc/entry2018/SC201816.pdf