What’s the problem?
Compost guidelines are different among municipalities, with some allowing certain plastic products (bags, hygiene products) in the waste stream to increase public uptake of their green bin program. Compost facilities have mechanisms in place to remove plastics, and Ontario’s Compost Quality Standards covers this process. Nevertheless, there is growing public awareness of plastic pathways into ecosystems.
We are part of a large NSERC project assessing risk of microplastics to Canada’s ecosystems. For more information, click below.
Microplastics characterization
Microplastic extraction and characterization in soils presents a challenge to the analyst. Plastics, by design, have a range of properties, which includes density and surface chemistry. Plastics come in many shapes and sizes, and in addition, are likely transformed in soils. Above is a microscope image showing a plastic fibers and particles after extraction, highlighting the co-extraction of soil organic materials and minerals.
Plastic Deterioration
In soil ecosystems, plastics seldom remain pristine. Physical, biological and chemical processes break them down, change their shape, and change their surface chemistry. We are studying the breakdown products of plastics in soil ecosystems to determine their secondary roles in soil reactivity and biological impacts.
