Ecological Aspects of Microplastics
About
The pilot action Ecological Aspects of Microplastics was proposed by Germany in the Management Board of February 2013. In an iterative process scientific experts together with the members of the Management Board (MB) have defined the scope of this pilot action as comprising methods, monitoring and effects of microplastics. Following a bibliometric study, foresight exercise and methods workshop, ten member countries published a joint call in 2015 of 7.7 million Euro. Four projects were selected for funding from January 2016 for a three year period.
- BASEMAN - Defining the baselines and standards for microplastics analyses in European waters
- EPHEMARE - Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine ecosystems
- PLASTOX - Direct and indirect ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics on marine organisms
- WEATHER-MIC - How microplastic weathering changes its transport, fate and toxicity in the marine environment
An overview of the key results of the projects can be found here.
- ANDROMEDA - Analysis techniques for quantifying nano-and microplastic particles and their degradation in the marine environment – Coordinator: Dr Richard Sempéré, Université d'Aix-Marseille, France
- HOTMIC - Horizontal and vertical oceanic distribution, transport, and impact of microplastics – Coordinator: Dr Mark Lenz, GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Germany
- FACTS - Fluxes and Fate of Microplastics in Northern European Waters – Coordinator: Prof Jes Vollertsen, Aalborg University, Denmark
- microplastiX - Integrated approach on the fate of MicroPlastics (MPs) towards healthy marine ecosystems - Prof Luca Brandt KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- i-plastic - Dispersion and impacts of micro- and nano-plastics in the tropical and temperate oceans: from regional land-ocean interface to the open ocean – Coordinator: Prof Patrizia Ziveri, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
- RESPONSE - Toward a risk-based assessment of microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems - Coordinator: Prof Francesco Regoli, Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy
For this joint call for research proposals funding partners from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden allocated funding. Researchers from UK, Canada and the Netherlands are participating with their own resources in the selected projects.
Objectives
- Identification, characterisation and quantification of the major microplastic sources, especially mechanisms and time scales of macroplastic fragmentation
- New sampling and analytical methodologies - focusing on the smaller (nano-)particles and in situ measurement methods for all matrices (water, sediment, biota)
- Monitoring and mapping of microplastics in the marine environment including its effects on the marine environment
- Concepts to reduce inputs of plastics into the marine environment including through new recycling methods, raising public awareness, promoting behavioural change, socio-economic analyses
Background
Bibliometric Study
Foresight exercise in microplastics
In order to support the development of the pilot action, the CSA Oceans project conducted a thematic foresight exercise in microplastics. The exercise developed a roadmap for microplastics research for Europe, identifying four research areas, which were used to inform the scientific orientation of the Pilot Action.
Best practice guidelines
On behalf of JPI Oceans, Ghent University, with the support of the Flemish Government, hosted an international scientific experts workshop on microplastics in January 2015. The workshop reviewed the current state of science and identified best practices for methodologies, in particular with a view to developing a risk assessment framework.
Joint Call on microplastics 2015
Ten Member Countries of JPI Oceans launched a joint call on microplastics in January 2015 with an overall budget of approx. €7.5m. Four projects were selected for funding from 31 December 2015 for a period of 36 months.Through these research projects the knowledge about the analysis, weathering and, ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in the marine environment has been substantially improved. But not all relevant questions have been addressed in the four projects and the knowledge and understanding aboutsmaller microplastic particles (from 10 µm to very small particles - nanoparticles) is in particular limited.
Joint Call on microplastics 2018
Building on the results from the first transnational call “Ecological aspects of microplastics in the marine environment” and recent scientific findings a second call was launched in by thirteen JPI Oceans member countries together with Latvia and Brazil in November 2018. This joint transnational call intends to increase the knowledge about the relevant sources of microplastics, analytical methods for identifying smaller micro- and nano-plastics, monitoring their distribution and abundance in marine systems and their effects thereon as well as concepts to reduce inputs of plastic into the marine evironment.