Methodological advances to support the risk assessment of microplastic on marine biodiversity

• Grant number: 25/15873-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Alexander Turra
• Grantee: Marcela Ravanelli Martins
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment is widespread and increasing, posing risks to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Despite advances in understanding the risks these particles pose to nature and their effects on biodiversity and the human population (e.g., food security), many challenges remain. Therefore, this proposal has two main objectives that will promote methodological advances to support the risk assessment of MPs. The first objective is to improve the reliability and accessibility of risk assessments of marine biodiversity exposure to MPs. This objective will consist of the following: (1.a) Generating freely accessible public spectral libraries in ATR, ¿-FTIR (reflection and transmission), and Raman for MPs derived from pure resins and commercial products from Brazil subjected to different levels of photodegradation, and; (1.b) applying the generated libraries to quantify and characterize the type of material and estimate the level of photodegradation of MPs in bivalves acquired from markets along the Brazilian coast. The second objective is to support the experimental assessment of the ecotoxicological risk of MPs and adsorbed emerging contaminants by considering different levels of photodegradation. This will be achieved by: (2.a) developing a method to quantify emerging contaminants adsorbed by different types of MPs using infrared transmission, and; (2.b) understanding how the level of photodegradation and exposure time influence the adsorption process by MPs. These results will contribute to developing and monitoring indicators for creating and implementing national and international public policies and tools for managing the sanitary quality of products captured or cultivated in aquatic environments. (AU)