The Russian Science Foundation and The National Natural Science Foundation of China project (grant number 25-47-00030) “Aging and fragmentation of plastic wastes on marine beaches across latitudes”
Project Lead: Chubarenko Irina
Abstract
Increasing levels of marine pollution by plastic waste and microplastics pose long-term environmental threats and risks to human health. A major contributor to pollution is secondary microplastics, which are fragments of larger plastic objects that are subjected to degradation by environmental factors. Current research, often based on modeling, has difficulty predicting the true extent of microplastic pollution, highlighting gaps in the understanding of natural degradation processes and hindering effective pollution management. Therefore, global research in the real environment is increasingly important, going beyond the limitations of modeling and requiring an integrated, interdisciplinary approach based on international cooperation in science, policy, technology and resource sharing to promote a unified response to this environmental crisis. This research project aims to study the aging and fragmentation of plastic in the marine environment under different latitudinal conditions, from tropical to polar, drawing on the combined expertise of Chinese and Russian research teams. Combining direct in-situ observations, aging experiments both in controlled laboratory and in vivo conditions, and numerical modeling of molecular dynamics, the planned research is expected to reveal the regularities of changes in the properties of plastic objects (fragments larger than 0.3 mm) during their aging and fragmentation in natural conditions of open sea beaches. The use of machine learning techniques will allow a detailed comparison of how external factors such as temperature extremes, UV exposure, and freeze/thaw cycles affect the long-term degradation and degradation of plastic materials.
The effects of plastic aging and fragmentation on the formation of secondary microplastics in the environment will be investigated. This includes investigating how these processes affect the particle size distribution of plastic under real environmental conditions at different latitudes, as well as the adsorption and emission of pollutants. By revealing details of the pathway from the onset of plastic aging to fragmentation in real-world environments, the project aims to shed light on the complex mechanisms of the interaction between material aging and fragmentation processes of plastic objects in the marine environment.
Based on the knowledge gained, the project will develop targeted marine (micro)plastic pollution management strategies and risk assessment models tailored to the unique challenges faced in different geographic regions. These strategies will be designed to address the specific plastic fragmentation potential of plastics under different environmental conditions and degradation rates observed at different latitudes. The ultimate goal is to establish an integrated and future-proof global plastic pollution risk management framework capable of addressing current challenges and adaptable to future scenarios. Successful completion of this project will provide a scientific basis for understanding the life cycle and environmental fate of plastic waste in the marine environment, fundamental data for predicting regional pollution fluxes, and an important basis for early warning of plastic waste release risks both regionally and globally.