The study of plastic pollution in soils, both in terms of the mobility of micro- and nanoplastics and in terms of ecotoxicity, is of crucial importance today. This pollution is found in both terrestrial and marine environments. High concentrations of environmental plastics are found in landfill sites, agricultural soils and rivers. These plastic fragments break down in the environment and can release the additives used in their formulation, such as endocrine disruptors (phthalates and bisphenols) and trace metals. These microplastics, nanoplastics and their additives then have the capacity to be mobilised in different environmental compartments (soils, river systems and organisms). Nanoplastics can also heteroaggregate with soil constituents and adsorb or release other contaminants present in the soil. However, the mobility and ecotoxicity of plastic fragments in terrestrial ecosystems are still poorly understood, and research on these subjects is in its infancy.
Angéline JUIF started her PhD at the beginning of October 2023 as part of the Plasticene research project, funded by ADEME. Working in two laboratories at the University of Rennes, Géosciences Rennes in the NanoScale team, and Ecobio, she is supervised by Mélanie DAVRANCHE, Anne-Catherine PIERSON-WICKMANN and David RENAULT. Her research project focuses on the environmental dynamics and impacts of plastic pollution in soils on living organisms.
Angéline has expertise in ecology, as she holds a Master's degree in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution from Sorbonne University (Paris). She will therefore be training in analytical chemistry and will be able to benefit from the support and knowledge of all the staff at Géosciences Rennes.
The aim of this thesis is therefore to study the fate, impact and interaction of plastic fragments with biotic and abiotic matrices in continental ecosystems. To achieve this, analytical chemistry and biology approaches will be implemented using environmental samples.
