Microplastics in Europe's freshwater ecosystems: From sources to solutions

Project Information

LimnoPlast

Grant agreement ID: 860720

DOI

10.3030/860720

Project closed

EC signature date 9 August 2019

Start date 1 November 2019

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 4 046 356,26

EU contribution

€ 4 046 356,26

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT BAYREUTH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LimnoPlast (Microplastics in Europe's freshwater ecosystems: From sources to solutions)

Reporting period: 2021-11-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Plastics have become an indispensable part in our daily life. Besides the indisputable benefits of plastic materials, major concerns arise about plastic leakage to the environment. Small plastic particles so-called microplastics (MP) have been detected ubiquitously in various ecosystems around the globe where they are bioavailable for a broad range of organisms, may negatively affect ecosystems and consequently society and economy. MP pollution is scientifically complex because MP are an extremely heterogeneous group of contaminants with regard to polymer types, morphology (e.g. fibres, fragments), and chemical composition. Likewise, the issue is societally complex as it is intrinsically linked to our linear economic system of production and consumption, growth and materialism, human wellbeing, decisions and behaviours, and involves multiple stakeholders. These ecological and economical risks resonate in society and the majority of Europeans are concerned about the environmental and health effects of microplastics, accordingly.
While there is political motivation to solve the MP issue most activities focus on marine environments. In contrast, most plastic litter is produced on land and emerging research demonstrates that freshwater ecosystems are affected by microplastics pollution.
Since freshwater microplastics emerge as major future challenge for Europe’s freshwater ecosystems and the latter are fundamental to public health and economic activities, the intention of the EU-funded International Training Network LimnoPlast is to close knowledge gaps on the issue of freshwater microplastics and provide the necessary evidence to enable and inform effective prevention and mitigation measures.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

LimnoPlast applied the transdisciplinary approach along the life cycle of plastics, tracking the technical and societal sources of the MP contamination in freshwater environments. For end-of-use plastics, we traced the sources of MP in freshwater systems in the Aarhus region, the Greater Paris area and in the Amsterdam area. LimnoPlast harmonised sampling and analysis methods. In addition, LimnoPlast assessed the impacts of MP on freshwater biota and public health. Specifically, LimnoPlast compared the toxicity of MP originating from commodity plastics and biodegradable polymers. Further, the utility of waste water treatment plants as a convenient and efficient point of stopping microplastics before they contaminate the environment was further studied in depth in the Paris catchment. With regard to solutions, novel biodegradable polymers were developed. In addition, an innovative method using electrostatic electric fields to capture Nanoplastics (NP) in industrial wastewater was developed. Covering the whole plastics lifecycle LimnoPlast captured current societal risk and benefit perceptions, mental models, and behavioural aspects regarding freshwater MP and explored the international and European legal framework applicable to plastic and microplastic pollution. This new understanding of the sources and impacts of microplastics will guide the development of innovative prevention, mitigation measures, and technological and social innovation.

LimnoPlast was extremely successful in transferring the outcomes to European decision makers, stakeholders and the public. The harmonised methods to analyse freshwater MP in water and sediments as well as to determine the degradability of plastics are publicly available and are already applied in several laboratories across Europe and beyond.
LimnoPlast generated comparative data on the sources of freshwater MP, the toxicity, and degradability of conventional and biodegradable polymers as well as removal technologies. This new knowledge was and is used to inform the policy framework and relevant stakeholders in publicly available reports, workshops and conferences, such as the UN water conference or the LimnoPlast final conference in Paris together with UNESCO.
The scientific results were presented in over 75 conference contributions. LimnoPlast organized its final conference together with UNESCO, which had a high political profile and attracted societal actors from Europe and beyond. The key-messages are publicly available, were transferred to the UN water conference and resulted in a high media coverage (>190 reports in the media). The LimnoPlast results are further scientifically exploited in several highly renowned scientific publications such as Nature Communications. Committed to the idea of Open Science, all articles are open access.
The innovative method for separating nanoplastics (NP) in industrial wastewater using electrostatic fields has already been patented.
LimnoPlast aimed to develop novel biodegradable polylimonene carbonate polymers, using orange peel waste and CO2. A variety of variants with different modifications have been developed, however, the degradation tests indicated that the biodegradability of the modified novel polymers was too slow for practical applications. Nevertheless, the results achieved in LimnoPlast may pave the way for future developments.
LimnoPlast provided four communication strategies against microplastics pollution (emotion evoking impact messages, instruction-based reflections, connecting sources to action, counter perceptions of distrust) as well as a recommendation on political and legal intervention options.
LimnoPlast explored the international and European legal framework applicable to plastic and microplastic pollution by adopting a life-cycle approach. As a result, gaps and opportunities for improvement were identified for each one of the numerous legal instruments relevant to the field of plastic production and consumption, plastic waste management and trade, and plastic pollution. The results were disseminated in publicly available reports, workshops and conferences, such as the UN water conference or the LimnoPlast final conference in Paris together with UNESCO.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

LimnoPlast served as a multiplier promoting a transdisciplinary and intersectoral doctoral education by integrating so far isolated disciplines (environmental, technical and social sciences). Equipped with this new mind-set, the new generation of scientists trained in LimnoPlast will serve as role model and in turn will contribute to transform Europe to a Circular Economy.

This is emphasized by the aim to develop novel environmentally friendly biodegradable polymers and by the novel developed technique to separate nanoplastics from industrial wastewater. Hence, in concordance with the EU Plastics Strategy LimnoPlast contributed directly to develop a vision for a circular plastics economy, recognizing existing opportunities to reduce the emission of MP into Europe’s freshwater and developing more sustainable practices for a new plastics economy. The transdisciplinary generated toolbox of LimnoPlast was transferred to the relevant actors using a target group-specific dissemination strategy and will help European decision makers defining operational measures for mitigating the plastics pollution. The comprehensive LimnoPlast approach strengthened collaboration beyond academia in Europe, and thus, result in joint future research initiatives, additional career opportunities for early stage researchers and innovative solutions.

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