© Stéphane Breuil, INRAE ECOSYS
Thesis Microplastics 2022-2025

Ecotoxicological effects and ecological consequences of microplastics on soil functioning - Microplastics

The increasing use of various kinds of plastics leads to the accumulation and long-term storage of microplastics (MP) in soils. There is a growing scientific literature linking the presence of MP and the consequences for soil organisms that perform essential ecological functions. However, for the most part, these are ecotoxicological approaches through effects on certain organisms studied separately (microorganisms, micro-, macrofauna and plants), without addressing ecotoxicity issues. Moreover, in agricultural soils, the presence of MP may be due to inputs via amendments with organic matrices and their impact on the biological functioning of soils is then little documented.

Starting date : 1/11/2022
Research Unit : 1402 ECOSYS- Functional Ecology and Ecotoxicology of Agroecosystem
INRAE Site : Ile-de-France-Versailles-Grignon
PhD Director : Juliette FABURE (UMR ECOSYS) and Agnès RICHAUME-JOLION (LEM UMR 5557)
Additional Supervisors : Isabelle LAMY (UMR ECOSYS) & Amélie CANTAREL (LEM UMR 5557)
PhD Student : Adrien BLANCHARD
University and Doctoral School : University Paris-Saclay (AgroParisTech), ABIES (Agriculture Alimentation Biology Environment Health)
Funding : Biosefair INRAE Metaprogram / ANR CE34 Contaminant, Environnement, Santé projet E-Dip « Environmental Dynamics and Impacts of contaminant cocktails originating from Plastics in soil ecosystems” 2022-2026

Objectives

© Stéphane Breuil, INRAE ECOSYS

The objective of this thesis is to quantify the ecotoxicological effects and to understand the ecological consequences of MP on soil functioning, focusing on the relationships between processes in the soil, implemented by organisms belowground and aboveground. In particular, we will test the hypothesis that interactions between organisms in the soil exacerbate exposure to MP, while interactions in the presence of a plant mitigate MP exposure in each biological compartment. We will test the direct effects of MP on different model organisms and aim to assess the influence of trophic interactions on MP ecotoxicity via feedbacks from the different organisms studied. The general approach is based on experiments in controlled systems with an increasing complexity of exposure situations, and a modelling of the observed effects with regard to food webs. The expected results will provide new knowledge on the functional ecotoxicity of MP, with the aim of developing a conceptual model.

Contacts :

Modification date: 17 October 2023 | Publication date: 22 June 2022 | By: Com