Descrizione del progetto
L’inquinamento da microplastica al micorscopio
L’ascesa dell’inquinamento da plastica nell’oceano è visibile, ma alcuni frammenti di plastica sono così piccoli che non è possibile vederli a occhio nudo. Anche queste plastiche microscopiche, che vanno da dimensioni inferiori ai cinque millimetri alla scala nanometrica, entrano nell’ambiente e destano grandi preoccupazioni per il biota e la salute umana. Il progetto Imptox, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà una piattaforma analitica volta ad approfondire l’effetto e la tossicità delle microparticelle e nanoparticelle di plastica combinate con gli inquinanti ambientali sul rischio di contrarre malattie allergiche mediante studi preclinici e clinici. La piattaforma verrà progettata allo scopo di trovare approcci analitici adatti alla determinazione dell’entità del problema. I risultati porteranno a nuovi strumenti per il rilevamento delle microparticelle e nanoparticelle di plastica e a una maggiore consapevolezza in merito al rischio di malattie.
Obiettivo
There is an urgent need to understand the risks on human health of micro- and nano-plastic particles (MNPs) that contaminate food and environment. We aim to create a cross-disciplinary platform to design suitable analytical approaches for determining the extent of the problem in the environment and to our health by evaluating the influence of ingested and inhaled exposure of MNPs contaminated with metals, allergens, pathogenic bacteria and toxins on allergic responses.
Our strategy includes developing a novel combination of tools to identify, extract, characterize, and quantify MNPs from selected foods, environmental media, and tissues of exposed animals to assess MNP prevalence based on size, shape and type. We will produce and label MNPs for use in a variety of pre-clinical studies to investigate toxicity and responses to MNPs, contaminants and allergens. We plan to use novel stable isotope 13C labelling and detection to determine MNP fate and accumulation in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts and secondary organs after immediate and chronic exposure and the effect on allergic immune responses at the cellular and molecular levels. Additionally, we designed a clinical study to evaluate the influence of MNP exposure in humans.
The outcome of this state-of-the-art project includes
- novel tools for MNP detection
- improved understanding of the effects of NMPs combined with critical contaminants in the air, water and food on human health and discovery of predictive biomarkers
- increased awareness of disease risk in response to MNPs and contaminants
- improved communication strategies between science and relevant stakeholders and contribution to blue growth and the health-relevant aims of the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy
- policy-relevant scientific data in support of improved human health hazard and risk assessment and for response and mitigation policies at the national and EU level for policymakers.
ImpTox is part of the European MNP cluster on human health.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Invito a presentare proposte
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoBando secondario
H2020-SC1-2020-Single-Stage-RTD
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
11001 Beograd
Serbia