Partners of the LABPLAS project recently attended the 2024 SETAC conference to showcase their respective research progress to address plastic pollution.
Todd Gouin – Enviro Research
Presented a model depicting relative risks of microplastic particles being vectors for plastic additive chemicals. Based on the findings, it appears that environmental releases of these chemicals from consumer products are a more important source of exposure than ingestion of contaminated microplastic.
Sebastian Groβ – BASF
Presented a new biodegradation test method for plastic materials in freshwater developed within the LABPLAS project. This method addresses the challenge of no standardized test procedures currently available for evaluating the rate of biodegradation of plastics in less active aquatic environments, such as freshwater. A higher microbial concentration and diversity provided faster and more complete biodegradation of PBSeT plastic with the newly developed test method, which may therefore be considered a good alternative for future standardization.
Cynthia Gómez and Sara López – Vigo University
Outlined the field experiment carried out in parallel in both Vigo and Brazil. In this study, three kinds of polymers (i.e., cellulose, LDPE and PBSeT) were subjected under natural marine conditions for a period of four months in both pelagic and benthic regions. The experiment measured weight and area loss as well as toxicity, providing valuable data on the degradation process of these materials in marine settings.
Yichen Zhu – Radboud University
Had an oral presentation on the quantification and mapping of tire wear emissions. The authors undertook work locally inside the EU and projected globally, providing an extensive picture of what tire wear particles means for their environmental footprint.