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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.