METALPATH Microbiome. Marine (micro)plastic litter and pollutant metals interaction: a possible pathway from marine environment to human

Interdisciplinary research involves wide spectrum of scientists and experts in the fields of oceanology, analytical chemistry, polymer chemistry, geology, biology and ecological modelling. Specific objectives are: characteristics assessment of polymer, and microplastics from marine environment; studying trace metals (TM) adsorption on unused polymers and on environmental microplastics; analysing TM distribution in coastal waters, sediments, microplastics and marine organisms as a possible direct and/or indirect threat to human, as well as the processes that govern TM biogeochemical cycles among them; study the effects of organic matter as well as specific marine microorganism communities (microbiome) from sediment on TM interaction with microplastics.

本跨学科研究汇聚了海洋学、分析化学、高分子化学、地质学、生物学与生态建模领域的众多科研人员与专家。本研究的具体目标如下：对海洋环境中的高分子材料及微塑料开展特性表征；探究痕量金属（trace metals, TM）在未使用高分子材料及环境微塑料表面的吸附行为；分析痕量金属在近岸海水、沉积物、微塑料及海洋生物体内的分布特征，研判其对人类可能构成的直接或间接健康威胁，并解析调控此类金属在各介质间生物地球化学循环的相关过程；研究沉积物中的有机质与特定海洋微生物群落（微生物组，microbiome）对痕量金属与微塑料相互作用的影响。