Team > M.Sc. Diana Nantege

Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Chair Animal Ecology I

PhD candidate

PhD project: Optimizing methods for the assessment of microplastics in soil and study of microplastic transport by bioturbation

Especially in soil samples, smaller microplastics (MPs <100 µm) present greater analytical challenges due to their unique physicochemical properties, including low mass, high specific surface area, and a strong tendency to adhere to surfaces or pass through filter pores. In tandem with elaborate procedural steps to purify MP soil samples for FTIR analysis, this can lead to a systematic underestimation of total microplastic concentrations. As part of my project, I investigate MP recovery efficiency in soil samples as a function of particle shape, size, and polymer type, down to 10 µm. I assess recovery rates at each procedural step to identify those procedures responsible for the greatest particle losses. The results will provide a basis for evaluating and optimising methods and contribute to more accurate and representative data as a basis for reliable risk assessment.

My project also focuses on the transport of MPs by soil fauna, such as ants and earthworms. As environmental engineers, these organisms exhibit a unique ecological function for structuring soil ecosystem and their behaviour, such as foraging, nesting and burrowing, can facilitate the movement of MPs within soil by bioturbation. I will investigate the mechanisms through which these organisms contribute to the vertical and horizontal transport of MPs in soil. The resulting data will provide insights into how biological activity influences the fate, distribution and accumulation of MPs in soil. This information is essential for predicting environmental fate and assessing potential ecological impacts.

Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Chair Animal Ecology I

Master in Zoology
PhD Student Animal Ecology | Supervisor Dr. Martin Löder

PhD project: Optimizing methods for the assessment of microplastics in soil and study of microplastic transport by bioturbation

Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Chair Animal Ecology I

M.Sc. Diana Nantege
PhD candidate

Building NWI, Room 5.0 01 39
University of Bayreuth
Universitätsstrasse 30
95447 Bayreuth

Phone: +49 (0) 921 55 2648
E-mail: Diana.Nantege@uni-bayreuth.de
ORCID: M.Sc. Diana Nantege
ResearchGate: M.Sc. Diana Nantege