In the fight against marine plastic pollution, scientists and policymakers are constantly looking for new technologies to detect and monitor the problem— as well as reduce it. An innovative tool named POS2IDON has been unveiled through the EU LabPlas project, which could change our approach towards monitorization of marine plastic debris. POS2IDON is an advanced…
On April 9th, amidst the prestigious backdrop of the 2024 UN Ocean Decade Conference, a pivotal satellite event titled “Global Awareness, Research Activities and Network to Address Ocean Microplastic Pollution” convened at the PRBB-Barcelona Biomedical Research Park. Spearheaded by NORCE and IAEA, and jointly organized with esteemed partners including AIR Centre (representing the LabPlas Project),…
Currently, microplastics are predominantly defined as plastic particles below 5 mm in size (Arthur et al., 2009) . This includes most pellets, which are macroscopic and easily distinguished from actual pieces resulting from plastic fragmentation, and with a different chemical composition as they often lack the chemical additives added in the compounding phase of plastic…
What is the main problem? Car tyres, through abrasion on road surfaces, release tiny particles known as tyre wear particles (TWPs), which pose significant risks to ecosystems and human health. These particles accumulate in soils and water bodies, contributing to microplastic pollution in rivers and oceans. Roadside drainage systems play a major role in transporting…
The second LabPlas project field campaign in the North Sea took place between the 26th June and 1st of July of 2023. Samples between Elbe’s (Germany) and Thames’s (UK) rivers were taken for analysis of nano and microplastics and their toxicology effects and impacts on biota (Figure 1). Before and during the cruise the AIR…
Bio-based and bio-degradable plastics are becoming more popular as a way to address environmental problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and depletion of natural resources. Biodegradability is seen as a key property that plastics should have to reduce environmental impacts, but it is not the ultimate solution to the problem of mismanaged plastic waste.…
Last 5th and 6th of April, a workshop about Modeling was conducted in Villefranche sur Mer. The workshop aimed to achieve two key objectives: rReview of the protocols and methods developed by Sorbonne University for in situ plastic incubations, and for laboratory experiments on particle drop rates in a settling column. Discussion about the experimental…
Just finished the second week offshore collecting microplastic samples for the North Sea Plastic project. Storms threatened some of the planned sampling stations, but researchers eventually made it to a quieter station. For some of the researchers, this was their first time at sea. Some of the techniques used included the ‘snow catcher’ and the…
The LABPLAS Project has exciting news to share: the first week of the North Sea expedition is now complete! Despite encountering some obstacles along the way, the team of eleven researchers has made progress in their objective of collecting plastic samples from different locations in the North Sea. The expedition set sail on February 4th…
From December 2022, LABPLAS is accepted as part of the EU mission “Restore our Oceans and waters” What is the mission? With a 2030 target, the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” aims to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters through research and innovation, citizen engagement and blue investments. The…