Toward a risk-based assessment of microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems

Informations

Funding country

Norway

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2020

End date

12/31/2023

Budget

358,914 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

We now know that there are plastics everywhere in the oceans. Plastics have been found in the intestinal system of virtually all marine organisms studied to date, but less is known of internal concentrations. Until recently, the focus has been on particles that can be identified using a microscope, mainly due to the methods available. There is however concern that smaller particles (less than 0.01 mm) may have environmental impacts since they can be taken up into organisms. RESPONSE is an EU JPI-Oceans project with 14 partner institutions that will investigate the behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in the marine environment, how and whether they are taken up and will move in trophic webs and how they affect marine organisms. A wide range of organisms will be studied, including jellyfish, copepods, different bivalve species, polychaetes, shore crab and goby. The project has selected species with a wide geographical range and many are present from the Mediterranean to the North Sea. In addition to experiments with single species, RESPONSE will perform mesocosm-studies with pelagic and benthic communities. The results from exposure and effect studies will be integrated in a risk assessment of different types of micro- and nanoplastics in the sea. As referred to above, methods have not been widely available to quantify micro- and nanoplastics. The University of Oslo will be involved in many parts of the project, but will focus on an experimental study with sediment communities, leaching of contaminants from plastic in fish stomach and intestine and effect studies with marine organisms. The University of Oslo leads the subproject on effect studies.