Browsing by Author "Swarzenski, PW"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Application of nuclear techniques to environmental plastics research
    (Elsevier, 2018-12) Lanctôt, CM; Al-Sid-Cheikh, M; Catarino, AI; Cresswell, T; Danis, B; Karapanagioti, HK; Mincer, T; Oberhänsli, F; Swarzenski, PW; Tolosa, I; Metian, M
    Plastic pollution is ubiquitous in aquatic environments and its potential impacts to wildlife and humans present a growing global concern. Despite recent efforts in understanding environmental impacts associated with plastic pollution, considerable uncertainties still exist regarding the true risks of nano- and micro-sized plastics (<5 mm). The challenges faced in this field largely relate to the methodological and analytical limitations associated with studying plastic debris at low (environmentally relevant) concentrations. The present paper highlights how radiotracing techniques that are commonly applied to trace the fate and behaviour of chemicals and particles in various systems, can contribute towards addressing several important and outstanding questions in environmental plastic pollution research. Specifically, we discuss the use of radiolabeled microplastics and/or chemicals for 1) determining sorption/desorption kinetics of a range of contaminants to different types of plastics under varying conditions, 2) understanding the influence of microplastics on contaminant and nutrient bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms, and 3) assessing biokinetics, biodistribution, trophic transfer and potential biological impacts of microplastic at realistic concentrations. Radiotracer techniques are uniquely suited for this research because of their sensitivity, accuracy and capacity to measure relevant parameters over time. Obtaining precise and timely information on the fate of plastic particles and co-contaminants in wildlife has widespread applications towards effective monitoring programmes and environmental management strategies. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring new frontiers in marine radioisotope tracing – adapting to new opportunities and challenges
    (Frontiers Media S.A., 2020-06-03) Cresswell, T; Metian, M; Fisher, NS; Charmasson, S; Hansman, RL; Bam, W; Bock, C; Swarzenski, PW
    Radioisotopes have been used in earth and environmental sciences for over 150 years and provide unique tools to study environmental processes in great detail from a cellular level through to an oceanic basin scale. These nuclear techniques have been employed to understand coastal and marine ecosystems via laboratory and field studies in terms of how aquatic organisms respond to environmental stressors, including temperature, pH, nutrients, metals, organic anthropogenic contaminants, and biological toxins. Global marine issues, such as ocean warming, deoxygenation, plastic pollution, ocean acidification, increased duration, and intensity of toxic harmful algal blooms (HABs), and coastal contamination are all impacting marine environments, thereby imposing various environmental and economic risks. Being able to reliably assess the condition of coastal and marine ecosystems, and how they may respond to future disturbances, can provide vital information for society in the sustainable management of their marine environments. This paper summarizes the historical use of radiotracers in these systems, describes how existing techniques of radioecological tracing can be developed for specific current environmental issues and provides information on emerging issues that would benefit from current and new radiotracer methods. Current challenges with using radioecological tracers and opportunities are highlighted, as well as opportunities to maximize the application of these methods to greatly increase the ability of environmental managers to conduct evidence-based management of coastal and marine ecosystems. © 2020 Cresswell, Metian, Fisher, Charmasson, Hansman, Bam, Bock and Swarzenski. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).