I am looking for research groups in the ENLIGHT consortium to build an ENLIGHT Thematic Network on Micro and nanoplastics, that could help join forces to advance the field. We already have partners interested at the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux. In fact, we are already working together in the Euskampus Laboratory for Transborder Cooperation LTC Aqueus (Towards a joint Aquitania-Euskadi research and higher education alliance to tackle potential risks posed by environmental and bio-based microplastics and nanoplastics in the Gulf of Biscay). The idea would be to enlarge the network of this cooperation by including additional partners from ENLIGHT Universities.
Tags: Health, Ecology
This proposal will focus on understanding the fate and impact of environmentally realistic MPs and NPs and also of novel bioplastics at micro and nano scales. Plastic pollution is one of the most important environmental challenges nowadays, especially in aquatic environments. Plastics found in the ocean vary from large plastics to smaller fragments called microplastics and nanoplastics, which are more bioavailable to organisms than larger plastics, thus posing a risk to the environment and human health. During last years knowledge about the fate and effects of MPs in aquatic organisms has increased considerably whereas NPs have not received sufficient attention yet. This is partly due to the lack of reliable and standardized techniques to measure nanoplastics in environmental matrices. The proposal fosters to create a network of research groups with a common research agenda to tackle the pending questions on the fate and effects of micro and nanoplastics and their associated chemicals at the short- and long-term. Proposed activities include joint formative activities (PhD and postdocs), joint research activities, organization of meetings, students gatherings, and citicen science.