Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IMPACTAS (Improving MicroPollutants Analysis and Controlling of Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems)
Período documentado: 2022-12-01 hasta 2025-05-31
The IMPACTAS project emerges in response to the urgent global environmental challenge of microplastic pollution, which has escalated in recent decades due to continuous plastic production and improper waste management. Approximately 8 million tons of plastic debris are added annually to the oceans, undergoing weathering and fragmenting into microplastics (MPs)—tiny particles less than 5 mm in size. These particles, now pervasive across aquatic ecosystems, pose not only physical hazards to marine life but also act as carriers for various organic pollutants, amplifying their environmental impact.
The dual role of microplastics as pollutants and vectors for contaminants like UV filters, antibiotics, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals makes them a significant concern under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive and the broader Blue Growth strategy, which emphasizes the sustainable development of marine resources. Coastal areas such as the Canary Islands—an EU priority tourism destination—face mounting ecological pressure from human activity, including tourism and coastal development. Yet, comprehensive data on the interaction of microplastics with emerging contaminants in such regions remain limited.
IMPACTAS seeks to address this gap by developing advanced analytical methodologies for the detection, monitoring, and risk assessment of organic micropollutants adsorbed or absorbed by microplastics in marine environments. The project’s overarching goal is to provide state-of-the-art tools to identify and quantify these pollutants using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS and Q-TOF). This will enable the detection of contaminants at ultra-trace levels, aligning with evolving EU monitoring priorities.
The project follows a structured research pathway across four main objectives:
1. Development of optimized sample preparation techniques suitable for diverse environmental matrices.
2. Creation of novel analytical methods targeting EU-listed emerging contaminants.
3. Monitoring microplastics and associated micropollutants in wastewater and beach sand samples from the Canary Islands to assess temporal and spatial distribution.
4. Environmental risk assessment to estimate ecological impact and support future regulatory measures.
IMPACTAS integrates interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with ecotoxicologists and marine biologists, to ensure robust classification and evaluation of microplastic samples. It leverages expertise from the host institution ULPGC and partners with inter-disciplinary fields to enhance research quality and facilitate knowledge transfer.
This project not only contributes to the scientific understanding of microplastic-contaminant interactions but also holds strong societal and policy relevance. By improving analytical capabilities and providing empirical data on pollution levels in a critical EU region, IMPACTAS supports more effective environmental protection, informs policy decisions, and aligns with both the EU’s Green Deal goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water). Ultimately, its findings are expected to aid in preserving marine biodiversity, safeguarding public health, and promoting sustainable coastal tourism—an impact that is both regionally significant and globally transferable.
The dual role of microplastics as pollutants and vectors for contaminants like UV filters, antibiotics, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals makes them a significant concern under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive and the broader Blue Growth strategy, which emphasizes the sustainable development of marine resources. Coastal areas such as the Canary Islands—an EU priority tourism destination—face mounting ecological pressure from human activity, including tourism and coastal development. Yet, comprehensive data on the interaction of microplastics with emerging contaminants in such regions remain limited.
IMPACTAS seeks to address this gap by developing advanced analytical methodologies for the detection, monitoring, and risk assessment of organic micropollutants adsorbed or absorbed by microplastics in marine environments. The project’s overarching goal is to provide state-of-the-art tools to identify and quantify these pollutants using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS and Q-TOF). This will enable the detection of contaminants at ultra-trace levels, aligning with evolving EU monitoring priorities.
The project follows a structured research pathway across four main objectives:
1. Development of optimized sample preparation techniques suitable for diverse environmental matrices.
2. Creation of novel analytical methods targeting EU-listed emerging contaminants.
3. Monitoring microplastics and associated micropollutants in wastewater and beach sand samples from the Canary Islands to assess temporal and spatial distribution.
4. Environmental risk assessment to estimate ecological impact and support future regulatory measures.
IMPACTAS integrates interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with ecotoxicologists and marine biologists, to ensure robust classification and evaluation of microplastic samples. It leverages expertise from the host institution ULPGC and partners with inter-disciplinary fields to enhance research quality and facilitate knowledge transfer.
This project not only contributes to the scientific understanding of microplastic-contaminant interactions but also holds strong societal and policy relevance. By improving analytical capabilities and providing empirical data on pollution levels in a critical EU region, IMPACTAS supports more effective environmental protection, informs policy decisions, and aligns with both the EU’s Green Deal goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water). Ultimately, its findings are expected to aid in preserving marine biodiversity, safeguarding public health, and promoting sustainable coastal tourism—an impact that is both regionally significant and globally transferable.
During the course of the IMPACTAS project, significant scientific and technical progress was achieved in understanding the role of microplastics as vectors for organic micropollutants in marine environments, particularly in the Canary Islands. The project was structured into four main scientific activities, each contributing to its overall goal of enhancing analytical capacity and environmental knowledge regarding emerging contaminants.
The first major achievement was the development and optimization of a comprehensive multi-group analytical methodology for detecting a wide range of emerging organic contaminants—such as UV filters, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and drugs of abuse—adsorbed or absorbed on microplastics. The methodology combined advanced sample preparation workflows (including ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and solid-phase extraction) with UHPLC-MS/MS and Q-TOF mass spectrometry. This enabled highly sensitive, reliable identification and quantification of target analytes at trace levels in diverse environmental matrices.
Building on this methodology, a detailed spatial and temporal monitoring campaign was conducted across multiple environmental compartments in the Canary Islands (microplastics, and effluents from wastewater treatment plants). The monitoring revealed significant variation in contaminant loads over time and space, with several hotspots identified.
Further analytical work enabled the identification of the primary sources of contamination—linking high contaminant levels to specific human activities such as tourism (UV filters) and treated wastewater discharges (pharmaceuticals).
Finally, a toxicological assessment was performed on microplastics carrying identified contaminants, with support from ecotoxicological expertise. This assessment demonstrated the potential ecological risks posed by these pollutant-loaded particles, reinforcing the need for stricter monitoring and mitigation measures.
Results of these activities were published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at leading scientific conferences, contributing valuable data to the field of environmental chemistry and informing future regulatory efforts.
The first major achievement was the development and optimization of a comprehensive multi-group analytical methodology for detecting a wide range of emerging organic contaminants—such as UV filters, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and drugs of abuse—adsorbed or absorbed on microplastics. The methodology combined advanced sample preparation workflows (including ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and solid-phase extraction) with UHPLC-MS/MS and Q-TOF mass spectrometry. This enabled highly sensitive, reliable identification and quantification of target analytes at trace levels in diverse environmental matrices.
Building on this methodology, a detailed spatial and temporal monitoring campaign was conducted across multiple environmental compartments in the Canary Islands (microplastics, and effluents from wastewater treatment plants). The monitoring revealed significant variation in contaminant loads over time and space, with several hotspots identified.
Further analytical work enabled the identification of the primary sources of contamination—linking high contaminant levels to specific human activities such as tourism (UV filters) and treated wastewater discharges (pharmaceuticals).
Finally, a toxicological assessment was performed on microplastics carrying identified contaminants, with support from ecotoxicological expertise. This assessment demonstrated the potential ecological risks posed by these pollutant-loaded particles, reinforcing the need for stricter monitoring and mitigation measures.
Results of these activities were published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at leading scientific conferences, contributing valuable data to the field of environmental chemistry and informing future regulatory efforts.
IMPACTAS provides a ready-to-use, detailed and user-friendly analytical methodology applicable across EU countries. The results highlight the urgent need for stricter regulation of selected organic contaminants (UV filters octroctylene and avobenzone), particularly in regions with high use of UV-protective sunscreens. Findings also underscore the necessity for further research focused on treated wastewater discharges as a significant source pollution with pharmaceuticals.