nanoPlastic Ageing, Tracing, Tracking and aquatic Environmental Removal

Descripción del proyecto

Siguiendo la pista a la amenaza invisible de los nanoplásticos

La presencia de microplásticos y nanoplásticos en los medios acuáticos es una preocupación creciente. Estas diminutas partículas persisten durante largos periodos de tiempo, pero son extremadamente difíciles de detectar, lo que dificulta la comprensión de su comportamiento o el tratamiento de sus impactos. El proyecto PATTER se centra en esta cuestión con el apoyo de las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie. El equipo de PATTER estudiará cómo envejecen los nanoplásticos y cómo cambian sus propiedades físicas y químicas con el paso del tiempo. El proyecto también creará partículas detectables y relevantes para el medio ambiente con el fin de mejorar el rastreo en muestras complejas. Además, se probarán materiales sorbentes capaces de capturar partículas de menos de mil nanómetros. Los resultados respaldarán estrategias más eficaces para reducir la contaminación por plásticos.

Objetivo

PATTER: nanoPlastic Ageing, Tracing, Tracking and aquatic Environmental Removal addresses the critical environmental challenge posed by micro- and nanoplastics, which are pervasive and persist in the environment, with their impact remaining largely unknown. This fellowship aims to employ an interdisciplinary, and advanced methodological combination of analytical and characterisation techniques to investigate what effect ageing has on nanoplastic behaviour, and then use this knowledge to develop remediation approaches that tackle both pristine and aged nanoplastics. The work will develop methods to generate environmentally relevant, easily detectable nanoplastics, allowing for their tracking in environmental samples. This is crucial, as current methods struggle to distinguish nanoplastics from organic backgrounds in environmental matrices. Furthermore, multi-method characterisation of nanoplastics at various stages of ageing, using advanced techniques will be conducted. These studies will provide quantifiable data on physicochemical changes, enhancing our understanding of nanoplastics' long-term behaviour in different aquatic environments. This addresses the knowledge gap in nanoplastic ageing, which influences their environmental fate and the effectiveness of remediation strategies. Finally, sorbent materials will be investigated for removing nanoplastics from water. The aim is to develop materials capable of capturing particles smaller than 1000 nm, significantly improving the efficiency of current remediation technologies. This research is highly relevant to the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on water quality, waste reduction, and pollution control. By addressing these aspects, PATTER will contribute to more robust environmental protection measures and advance scientific knowledge in the field of plastic pollution.