Microplastics

Microplastics

Microplastic risk assessment and model development: Production and analytical models: Milling, labeling, characterization and baseline testing

This is part of the Plastics Europe Brigid research project to assess potential risks to human health from microplastic exposure via ingestion. In the project’s Working Package 1 (WP1), which focuses on microplastic production and analytical methods, there are three main activities: i) sample microplastics will be prepared by milling; ii) these microplastics will labeled, and iii) they will be tested for baseline toxicity.

Organized by Plastics Europe

Researchers / Institutional Affiliations

  • Milling:
    NanoFract UG, Magdeburg (Germany)
  • Labeling:
    Dow
    BASF
  • Characterization and baseline toxicity testing:
    Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek. (TNO; The Netherlands)

Timeline

Q2 2022 to Q3 2024 (milling, labeling and characterization),
Q3 to Q4 2024 (baseline testing)

Additional information

Ingestion and inhalation are hypothesized to be the main routes of exposure of humans to microplastics. This project focuses on ingestion. Microplastics will be prepared by the micronization of commercial-grade forms of examples of each of the seven polymer types (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, (rigid)polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyamide-6 and polyethylene terephthalate – the latter in collaboration with PETCORE Europe). Some of these microplastics will be labelled by radioisotope1 labels – specifically, carbon-14 – to better track them during exposure experiments. The microplastics will be characterized using a variety of analytical techniques.

Further details are available here.

1https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389423020691

Professional Presentations:

N/A

Published Papers

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