Identifying microplastic polymers in wildlife and their ecosystems

This project is a collaboration between Drs. Jennifer Provencher, Jesse Vermaire, and Christina Davy at Carleton University in which the two student interns will quantify microplastic contents in various environmental samples to improve our understanding of the fate of microplastics in the environment. The students will learn to assess microplastics in environmental samples (e.g. scat, water, soil) using harmonized protocols, and take the characterization of those microplastics all the way through to polymer identification via FTIR in the Vermaire lab. The students will work will with two sets of samples, each constituting a stand-alone project. Ahniia will work on as study of microplastics in river ecosystems, analyzing grizzly bear scat, water samples, and soil samples. Daryna will work on a study of microplastics in agricultural ecosystems, analyzing soil and invertebrate samples from an agricultural field south of Ottawa that was previously treated with biosolids. The students will use these results to better understand the movement of microplastics through these two systems, gaining experience with experimental design and use of the FTIR, as well as reporting scientific results to project partners and the scientific community.

Faculty Supervisor:

Christina Davy

Student:

Partner:

Odesa I.I.Mechnikov National University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Environmental Science and Technology; Water; Sustainability & the Environment

University:

Carleton University

Program: