{"id":7261,"date":"2019-12-11T09:23:29","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T08:23:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mio.osupytheas.fr\/fr\/archive_page\/splash-stop-alle-plastiche-in-h2o\/"},"modified":"2019-12-11T09:23:29","modified_gmt":"2019-12-11T08:23:29","slug":"splash-stop-alle-plastiche-in-h2o","status":"publish","type":"archive_page","link":"https:\/\/www.mio.osupytheas.fr\/en\/splash-stop-alle-plastiche-in-h2o\/","title":{"rendered":"SPlasH! Stop all Plastiche in H2O!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PI MIO<\/strong> : St\u00e9phane Mounier<\/a><\/p>

MIO participants<\/strong> V. Lenoble, N. Patel, G. Durrieu, J. Tesan, C. Le Poupon, K. Dajoudi<\/p>

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Duration<\/strong> : 2018-2020<\/p>

Research area<\/strong> AT CONTAM MIO<\/p>

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The project SPlasH!<\/strong> is a Franco-Italian Marittimo project funded by Europe<\/a>.<\/p>

It has 3 divisions: theUniversity of Genoa<\/a>, l'E.R.I. European Research Institute<\/a>and theToulon University<\/a>. Within the University of Toulon, 2 laboratories are involved: MAPIEM<\/a> and About<\/a>. The disciplines covered are modelling and transport of M.I.O. particles (OPLC team, Physical Oceanography and Modelling team), environmental chemistry and geochemistry (CEM team) and formation and composition of biofilms (MAPIEM). In total, at least 6 researchers are working and more than 4 Masters courses have contributed to the results and sampling.<\/p>

In concrete terms, we start by carrying out a numerical and qualitative identification of microplastics<\/strong>. Digital identification involves isolating the microplastics from the sampled seawater. This is done using a binocular magnifying glass. This tedious work can take 1 to 2 days per sample!<\/p>

These microplastics are counted afterwards using a device called a zooscan. This enables us to quantify the microplastics precisely and also to provide information about their surface<\/strong> but also to their volume<\/strong> and their shape<\/strong>. The plastics are then weighed, giving us an idea of the quantity of plastic present in a given volume of water.\u00a0<\/p>

Qualitative identification involves detection of the major polymers making up microplastics<\/strong>. This is done using a device called FTIR for Fourier Transform Infrared. Identifying these polymers can also provide information about the time a microplastic has spent in water.<\/p>

As part of this project, we also looked at the bioconcentration of metals such as copper on microplastics<\/strong>. As we said earlier, as soon as plastic is submerged, organisms will colonise the surfaces to form what is known as the biofilm<\/strong>. To date, very little is known about this interaction between microplastic, biofilm and surrounding metals. For this reason, one of the major objectives of this study was to quantify the metals associated with microplastics resulting from a process of bioconcentration by the biofilm<\/strong>. To do this, we had to develop a protocol for extracting the biofilm that forms on microplastics. We drew our inspiration from a protocol usually applied to sediments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Why metals? The presence of metals in low concentrations in the environment can have an impact on microorganisms. Their presence is even essential for certain elements. However, as soon as their concentration (quantity) exceeds a certain threshold, they can become lethal.<\/p>

In terms of innovation in the equipment used in the study of micoplastics, as part of this project we are mainly interested in improving sampling efficiency. As you have seen, sampling is essentially carried out using a Manta net<\/strong>. However, the latter only allows us to take samples from surface waters, and in shallow environments such as coastal areas, there is no way of taking samples from intermediate depths. However, we would also be interested in a better understanding of the distribution of these micoplastics along the water column to see at what depth they accumulate and their dynamics in the first few kilometres of coastline. The challenge lies in developing a sampling method that will enable us to sample the entire water column. As part of this project, a prototype is already available using in-situ pumps and filters and is currently in the testing phase.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div><\/section><\/div>

Publications<\/h2> <\/div>