Project Grant 2246645

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RFCUNY), doing business as RFCUNY - Advanced Science Research Center, received a three-year, $451,681 project grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences to study the decomposition rates of microplastics in soils. This award falls under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which supports basic research to expand understanding of the integrated Earth system through atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences.

Specifically, RFCUNY will conduct controlled experiments using naturally occurring and isotopically labeled plastic polymers to test the hypotheses that soil microbiomes will assimilate and mineralize microplastics over time. Researchers will monitor the incorporation of isotopic labels from the plastics into phospholipid biomarkers and gases like carbon dioxide and methane emitted from the soils. Spectroscopy techniques will also assess plastic reactivity and association with soil aggregates. By combining stable isotope, spectral, and isotopic mass balance approaches, the project aims to establish a fundamental understanding of plastic decomposition pathways in soils, including assimilation, mineralization, transformation into lower weight products, and conversion to carbon dioxide and methane. The research is intended to provide new insights with potential practical applications regarding microplastics' impacts on soil health, carbon cycling, and climate-influencing gas emissions.