Investigating the environmental fate of microplastics and their effects on model organisms through structural and chemical imaging

Microplastics (MPs) are contaminants of an emerging concern due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment, persistence, and adverse effects on biota. Despite intensive research efforts over the past decade, knowledge about the fate of MPs in the environment and the effects of environmentally relevant MPs on biota is still limited. This is particularly due to the lack of available technologies that allow structural and chemical analysis of biological samples. Therefore, the aim of the collaborative project is to investigate the potential application of a novel approach to monitor changes in structure and chemical composition during environmental aging and to directly detect environmentally relevant MPs in biotic tissues using laser-based spectroscopy (elemental and chemical imaging) and X-ray computed tomography (structural visualization). The performance of the proposed innovative techniques will be tested in vivo using fish models to investigate the specific interactions between microplastics and tissues and possible adverse consequences. Such a multidisciplinary project is unique and will lead to a scientific breakthrough that has not been technologically possible before. It is expected that this project will support the advancement of new research ideas and spark a significant movement in the scientific community to investigate microplastics as emerging priority contaminants.