Windsor researchers and partners receives major funding to find the source of microplastics pollution
A team of University of Windsor researchers have received $1 million in funding to spearhead a project aimed at solving the mystery of where microplastics originate and how they travel, to curtail the global pollution problem.
“Even if we stop putting plastics into the environment today, those plastics there right now would continue breaking down for tens, hundreds of years,” says Dr. Jill Crossman, project coordinator and professor at UWindsor’s School of Environment.
Microplastics are minuscule pieces of plastic that are essentially found everywhere, from your toothbrush, to your food packaging and inside our oceans.
“They are being found in such remote environments, so far from any obvious sources,” says Crossman. “Microplastics have now even been found in the Arctic and Antarctica. A lot of this is due to atmospheric transmission.”
To get a clear picture of where microplastics end up, the scientists will be visiting industrial, agricultural and urban sites throughout the year to study the key sources, transportation processes, and pathways of microplastics in Ontario.
Dr. Scott Mundle, researcher with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research is developing a new way to track using pollutants to their sources using mass spectrometry methods.
Mundle’s technique involves creating a database of chemical signatures for microplastics, each with a unique “fingerprint” to help identify its original source.
“It’s the same as a police fingerprint database,” explains Mundle. “When we sample microplastics in the environment, we’ll be able to use fingerprints against a fingerprints database to understand where that’s coming from.”
The project team also includes members from the University of Toronto, Trent University, Western University, Wilson Analytical, Environment Canada, Ontario’s Ministry of Environment and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.
Dr. Patricia Corcoran, professor at Western University’s Department of Earth Science is assisting the project by collecting water, air and soil samples along the Thames River.
“The issue with microplastics is that because they are so tiny they can affect a greater number of organisms in the environment than the large plastics,” Corcoran says studies have shown plastic pollution can harm the fertility, growth and survival of marine life.
She explains increasing knowledge and understanding the source of microplastics will help governments create effective regulatory policies.
“We could speak with policy makers and make them more informed. Potentially there could be some regulation that’s developed in order to help this pollution problem.”
The program is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Plastic Science for a Cleaner Future program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.