Project description
Tracking the invisible threat of nanoplastics
The presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic environments is a growing concern. These tiny particles persist for long periods, yet they are extremely difficult to detect, making it challenging to understand their behaviour or address their impacts. The PATTER project focuses on this issue with the support of the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions programme. PATTER will study how nanoplastics age and how their physical and chemical properties change over time. The project will also create detectable, environmentally relevant particles to improve tracking in complex samples. In addition, it will test sorbent materials capable of capturing particles smaller than 1 000 nm. The results will support more effective strategies for reducing plastic pollution.
Objective
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.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
NG7 2RD Nottingham
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.