| Abstract |
Since the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) was
adopted in 2008 (European Commission Directive 2008/56/EC), EU member states
must develop activities to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in the
European marine environment by year 2020 (European Commission Decision
2010/477/EU). Whilst trying to harmonise with the EU norms, Turkey also
supports achieving GES for its marine waters by the year 2020. MSFD provides 11
descriptors for achieving GES. Descriptors: 8, 9, and 10 concerns contaminants
in sea and in seafood used for human consumption, as well as marine litter.
These descriptors pay special attention to new emerging pollutants – such as
micro-plastic, and call for the establishment of new methods to quantify these
pollutants in the environment and evaluate their toxicity. The purpose of this
project is implementation of the European Commission Decision 2010/477/EU
section 10.1 to evaluate amount, distribution and composition of
micro-plastics, evaluate their biological impacts and assess potential toxicity
in Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation has
also strong interest in the evaluation of plastics in the marine waters. To
achieve this objective, inclusion of a foreign expert (Dr Boris Jovanovic,
Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Munich Germany – an expert in
ecotoxicology of micro and nanoparticles in aquatic environment) is necessary.
LMU has developed and built the first and only Munich Plastic Sediment
Separator machine (MPSS) in the world, which enables a reliable separation of
different ecologically relevant size classes of plastic particles
(microplastic) from sediment and/or biological samples. Subsequent
identification and quantification of the particles with spatial resolution down
to 1 μm can be performed using Raman microspectroscopy after separation by
MPSS. By using MPSS and Raman microspectroscopy Turkey will be the first
country in Europe to fulfil section 10.1 of the 2010/477/EU decision and
provide accurate distribution, amount, and composition of microplastic litter
in its seas and on its beaches. As a second objective this project will
evaluate potential of different types of micro-plastics: high density
polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), and polyamide (PA) to bioaccumulate in the organs of fish upon dietary
exposure and water exposure in controlled laboratory conditions. Seabream
(Sparus aurata) will be used as a model species. Upon the timely exposure, fish
will be euthanized, dissected, and intestines, liver, and kidney treated with
30% hydrogen peroxide prior to extraction of stored micro-plastic particles by
zinc-chloride procedure. After extraction, micro-plastic particles will be subjected
to Raman microspectroscopy for further analysis. This will be the first attempt
known to science to evaluate bioaccumulation potential of different types of
micro-plastics in seafood. In addition the process of bioaccumulation of
micro-plastic through the food chain will be monitored in the wild by analyzing
samples of different species of marine fauna including filter feeders,
zooplankton, plankton feeders, omnivorous, and carnivorous species to be
obtained from the surveys will be carried out in Mediterranean coast of Turkey
with research vessels of Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine
Sciences and Mediterranean Fisheries Research Production and Training Institute
in addition to beach sediments.
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