Descrizione del progetto
Studiare l’impatto chimico di microplastiche e microinquinanti
Le microplastiche sono il risultato di cambiamenti fisici e chimici che riducono l’integrità meccanica e il peso molecolare dei polimeri presenti nella plastica durante il processo di decomposizione. È stato osservato che, oltre a danneggiare l’ambiente a livello fisico, questi frammenti si accumulano e legano a vari inquinanti organici, incrementando i danni chimici causati. Sfortunatamente, nonostante l’urgente necessità, le ricerche disponibili in tal ambito sono pressoché nulle. Il progetto IMPACTAS, finanziato dall’UE e ospitato dall’Università di Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, cercherà di cambiare questa situazione. IMPACTAS studierà l’impatto esercitato da microinquinanti e microplastiche sulle isole. La ricerca sarà ulteriormente rafforzata mediante l’introduzione di un gruppo di ricerca specializzato in chimica analitica ambientale.
Obiettivo
Degradation of plastics is a sequence of chemical and physical changes reducing their molecular weight and mechanical integrity of the polymer and leads to formation of microplastics (MPs). Negative effect of the MPs on the environment is not only physical, but also chemical due to their ability to adsorb and accumulate many persistent organic pollutants The role of MPs as a vector of the contamination is newly formed phenomenon and could fundamentally top off the role of MPs in the ecological systems. Only limited number of scientific papers and research are currently available and published, thus IMPACTAS project aims to change it. University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria provides unique opportunity to study micropollutants-microplastics topic in terms of islands location, extensive tourism industry, protected natural parks, excellent infrastructure and knowledge of Environmental Analytical Chemistry research group belonging to Institute for Environmental Studies and Natural Resources. Project will focus at few objectives: - Development of analytical methodologies and strategies for the determination of organic pollutants adsorbed on MPs; - spatial and temporal monitoring of micropollutants - microplastics in different environmental compartments and; - environmental risk assessment of micro-pollutants in different natural ecosystems. Objectives of the project are multidisciplinary including combination of analytical chemistry, statistics, biology and environmental sciences. IMPACTAS implies international research visits and placement of the researcher for further knowledge implementation. Expected results have potential to provide state of the art solutions for micropollutants monitoring and control in different environmental and biology systems around Canary Islands which could be transferred across research groups within EU countries. This project is in line with the EU Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy and Blue Growth strategy of the European Union
Campo scientifico
- natural scienceschemical sciencesanalytical chemistry
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit GrantCoordinatore
35001 Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
Spagna