Small MICROplastics (<100µm) bioindicaToRs in the changing ArCtic EnviRonment (MICROTRACER)

Arctic environments are changing faster than other world regions; these changes are primarily anthropic- and climate-induced. The air and sea temperatures are increasing, the winds are strengthening, the permafrost is thawing, the thickness of the ice cover is decreasing, and the ocean acidification is increasing; these are the most prominent features of such changes. These ongoing changes also result in a flow of pollutants, regulated and emerging, i. e., microplastics and nanoplastics (M(N)Ps). Climate change may affect M(N)P pollution due to ice melting and ocean circulation changes. Sea ice and permafrost can act as temporal sinks, secondary sources, and transport media for M(N)Ps. Besides, microplastics < 100 µm, together with nanoplastics, can be ingested by biota in relation to their mouthparts' size and enter the trophic web, giving rise to bioaccumulation and biomagnification, also potentially posing a risk to human health. It should also be emphasized that M(N)Ps can be vectors of pathogens and pollutants that can exert toxic effects and threaten biota and the upper levels of the trophic web. Choosing a suitable bioindicator to investigate the environmental effects and those along the trophic web is crucial. Bioindicators are employed to assess environmental health and changes in the environment. Each organic entity inside a biological system indicates the health of its surroundings. The goals of this project are: i) the quantification and identification of small microplastics (SMPs, 5-100 µm) in the sediments collected in Kongsfjord, Svalbard; ii) the assessment of the body burden of SMP pollution in bioindicators sampled in different locations of Kongsfjord, Svalbard; iii) assessing the occurrence of nanoplastics (NPs) in selected samples of bioindicators, iv) the identification of assessment of SMPs' stress markers; vi) the investigation of pollutants carried by SMPs; vii) the investigation of changes on stress markers and microbiome due to SMPs, e) the assessment of SMPs as vectors of pollutants and bacteria.