Descripción del proyecto
Formación para medir el riesgo sanitario de los microplásticos
El plástico es un material importante que se encuentra omnipresente en nuestra economía y nuestra vida diaria. Las preocupaciones medioambientales como las fugas de plástico también representan una amenaza importante para nuestro bienestar. Reducir la cantidad de residuos plásticos que se generan cada año sigue constituyendo un gran desafío. Cada año se liberan al medio ambiente hasta 300 000 toneladas de microplásticos. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos MONPLAS formará a un grupo de investigadores noveles para que monitoricen las concentraciones de micro y nanoplásticos en el agua y evalúen su presencia, captación y la amenaza que suponen para la vida animal y humana. El proyecto identificó una necesidad de desarrollar tecnologías adecuadas que sean robustas, fáciles de usar y que resulten económicas para llevar a cabo mediciones normalizadas, así como de formar a ingenieros para el desarrollo de métodos y su aplicación.
Objetivo
Micro and nanoplastics have recently been found in our soil, tap water, bottled water, beer and even in the air we breathe, with a growing concern about the potential health risks they pose to us. Whether that is through ingesting the harmful bacteria they pick up when coming from wastewater plants, or just through injury and death of cells through contact, possibly through absorption of nanoplastics by cells, we really don’t know. Which is why there is an urgent need for more research on their toxicity and also why a new EC drinking water directive is to be published in 2019 stating that water companies will need to measure concentrations of microplastics from within two years for positive release and inspection. However, even though a standard measurement method will be published in 2019 for water, its necessary use of existing and expensive scientific laboratory equipment, such as microscopy and FTIR or Raman spectroscopy, will make it prohibitively expensive for in line use for many companies across Europe especially considering its need for highly trained personnel. There is therefore a need to develop suitable technologies for a robust, easy to use and low cost industrial instrument, whose measurements will correspond directly to the aforementioned standard, as well as train engineers for method development and operation. Given these multiple technical and analytical challenges, and that global production of plastic, that can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, is expected to triple by 2050; we propose a timely four year Initial Training Network to train multiple Early State Researchers throughout various scientific areas. Consisting of some of Europe's greatest experts in their fields it will provide tomorrows talent with the skills and knowledge to tackle possibly one of mankind's greatest threats to its existence whilst they jointly develop the technologies for the industrial instrument in collaboration with end-users and equipment manufacturers.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Coordinador
B4 7ET Birmingham
Reino Unido