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Research Title
Temporal and spatial distribution of microplastics in the sediments of UK rural and urban lakes
- More about Chiara
Academic Qualifications
- 2017 – Present, University College London. London NERC DTP PhD Candidate
- 2015 – 2016, King’s College London. MSc in Aquatic Resource Management (Distinction). MSc Dissertation: ‘Microplastic uptake and retention in the polychaete Aphrodite aculeata in the Clyde Sea area’.
- 1998 – 2005, University of Genoa, Italy. BSc (Hons) Environmental Sciences (Specialised in the marine environment). BSc Dissertation: ‘Methylmercury speciation in marine environmental samples’.
Selected Work experience
- 2018-Present Committee member for the organisation of the Broadly Scientific Seminars, UCL
- 2015 – 2017 Committee member of the Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM), London and South East branch
- March 2017 – September 2017 Environmental Report Writer at Gardline Geosurvey Limited
Impact and Publications
Invited Talks
- August 2018: Presentation, laboratory and field assistance on Sutton Trust Summer School “Urban Landscapes and Ecosystems” Course, at King’s College London
- April 2017: Q&A Panel after the screening of the film "A plastic Voyage", organised by the UCL conservation Group.
- November 2016: Lecture at Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM), London.
- Publications
Conferences and Talks
- High-rise Lives, UCL Urban Lab ‘At the frontiers of the urban: thinking concepts and practices globally’ Conference, UCL, November 201
- Research Interests
Microplastics are persistent environmental pollutants characterised by heterogeneous physicochemical properties, and resulting in very heterogeneous effects once they enter aquatic systems. Due to their small sizes (<5 mm), plastic particles can be ingested by a wide variety of aquatic organisms, potentially transferring toxic compounds across the food web. Although microplastic pollution is present throughout aquatic ecosystems of the world, there is limited research on lentic water bodies.
There is an urgent need to correct this as such waterbodies, in particular lake sediments, may represent a sink for microplastics. This project will examine the spatio-temporal variation in sediments of UK urban and rural lakes, and consider the environmental implications. The identification of plastic polymers, together with the assessment of microplastic spatial distribution and seasonal patterns of accumulation in lakes will help identify factors influencing microplastic distribution and pollution sources for lakes.
Objectives
- Assess the historical record of microplastics in the sediments of UK urban and rural lakes
- Analyse the spatial distribution of microplastics within a lake to assess factors influencing transport and storage
- Analyse the role of different sources of microplastics in urban and rural lakes
- Assess microplastic composition stored in the lake sediments in order to investigate the main sources of contamination in both urban and rural lentic systems
- Use state-of-the-art analytical methodologies to determine the most efficient microplastic identification methods
- Highlight seasonal variations in microplastic distribution and abundance in the lakes examined
- Impact
The results from this project will deliver a better understanding of the number and scale of sources of microplastics in urban and rural lakes, improving future risk assessments and prevention strategies.