Research
The list of research objectives of our project can be reviewed below:
OBJECTIVE A: CHARACTERIZE THE EXPOSURE OF AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS TO MICROPLASTICS.
A1) Quantify and characterize the microplastic content of wastewater effluents across Canada.
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A2) Determine the quantity and types of microplastics in different types of biosolids, manure, municipal composts, biosolids-amended soils, soils where plastic mulching has occurred, and unamended soils.
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A3) Characterize degradation products of microplastics in soil.
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A4) Determine the microplastics content in freshwater mussels, emergent insect larvae, and freshwater and terrestrial oligochaetes from wild populations along with the matrices in which they live (i.e., water, sediment, soil).
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OBJECTIVE B: CHARACTERIZE THE EFFECT OF MICROPLASTICS ON BIOTA FROM DIFFERENT TROPHIC LEVELS IN TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS. INVERTEBRATES
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B1) Determine the threshold of effects and accumulation of microplastics in soil on the survival, growth, and/or reproduction of springtails, isopods, and oligochaete worms.
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B2) Determine the threshold of effects of microplastics on ant colonies.
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B3) Determine the threshold for microplastics in water that cause adverse effects in different life stages (larval, juvenile, adult) of freshwater mussels.
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B4) Characterize the accumulation of microplastics in the tissues of freshwater mussels.
B5) Determine the threshold for microplastics in sediment that causes adverse effects on survival, growth, and/or reproduction of aquatic oligochaete worms and the potential for bioaccumulation.
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B6) Determine the concentration of microplastics in biofilms that affects the survival, growth, and/or reproduction of mayflies (Neocloeon triangulifer) and pulmonate snails (Planorbella pilsbryi).
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B7) Determine the effect of microplastics exposure on the gut microbiome of terrestrial oligochaetes, isopods, freshwater oligochaetes, and freshwater mussels.
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B8) Determine the concentration of microplastics in soil that effects plant seedling emergence and growth and changes in plant-associated microbial communities.
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B9) Assess the impact of microplastics on the soil food web, including the functional diversity bacteria, fungi, herbivores and fungivores. Identify the important factors associated with key soil biogeochemical cycles (N, P and C) that are affected by microplastics (i.e., influence on micro and macrofaunal cycling of N, P and C).
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OBJECTIVE C: CHARACTERIZING THE RISK OF MICROPLASTICS TO FRESHWATER AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
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C1) Conduct a probabilistic ecological risk assessment of microplastics on freshwater and soil ecosystems.
